By FireRescue1 Staff
OTIS, Ore. — A firefighter’s 8-year-old daughter was killed Tuesday evening after a tree collapsed on her mother’s house
Firefighter Ryan Schlect’s daughter, Zaylee, was asleep in her bed when strong winds knocked the tree down, reported the Oregonian Live. Her younger sister was also in the bedroom.
Schlect was on-duty and responded to the call. North Lincoln Fire Capt. Jim Kusz said as soon as he saw the address, it’s likely that Schlect knew it was one of his children
“It’s like someone reading off my address and telling me there’s a problem,” Capt. Kusz said.
Schlect and over a dozen other firefighters used chainsaws to cut through the tree and free Zaylee. She was transported to the hospital, where she died.
“When you have a fire department like ours and a community like ours … it’s not only devastating for the fire district but it’s devastating for the community,” Capt. Kusz said.
A GoFundMe has been created to raise funds for the family and funeral costs.