The Associated Press
KILGORE, Texas — Two firefighters died Sunday after falling from an elevated aerial platform during training in east Texas.
Kilgore police say 45-year-old Kyle Perkins and 28-year-old Cory Galloway fell from a dormitory building at Kilgore College. Two other firefighters had minor injuries.
Kilgore College has a fire academy that offers certification for firefighters.
College spokesman Chris Craddock said the building is routinely used for fire training because it’s the city’s tallest.
“They were both as good as gold,” said Dennis Gage, Kilgore Fire Department operations chief.
The firefighters had been training getting on and off the building’s roof using a new retractable platform that has a bucket attached. The two men apparently fell out of the bucket, Gage said.
Perkins had been with Kilgore city fire department since 2004. Galloway joined last January.
Kilgore is about 120 miles east of Dallas.