A 42-year-old volunteer firefighter was involved in an accident whilst on duty during the night between Thursday and Friday in Saint-Jean-du-Gard (30).
According to our sources, confirmed by an officer contacted by our editorial team, the warrant officer was called out during the night for a "door opening". Together with his colleagues, they decided to gain access to the house by breaking a window on the first floor, in order to avoid causing more costly damage to the front door.
Victim of a serious fall
Once inside the house, which was dimly lit by his single torch, the firefighter made his way through it. As he moved forward, he failed to notice the gap separating the terrace from the house, causing him to take a heavy fall (2.5 metres, according to the fire service). "It was inevitable" an officer rules.
His colleagues quickly came to his aid, and he was rushed to Alès General Hospital before being transferred to the Clinique des Franciscaines in Nîmes. He has suffered a fracture of the L2 vertebra and is due to undergo surgery this Friday.