By FireRescue1 Staff
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Friends, family and fellow firefighters gathered Monday to remember a fire captain who died by suicide last week.
Orange County Fire Capt. Eric Weuve, 41, died last week after jumping off an overpass, reported the Orange County Register.
Hundreds gathered in honor of the 16-year veteran, who leaves behind his wife, Melanie, and two children, Parker and Brooklyn. The three sat in the front row during the ceremony, holding Capt. Weuve’s badge and helmet.
“When he entered the room, people took notice,” Ken Gabrielson, a retired firefighter, said. “His smile was contagious; he had a very calm demeanor, a great sense of humor and a phenomenal work ethic.”
Capt. Weuve’s death sheds light on mental health issues within the fire service; in 2015, 132 firefighters died by suicide in the U.S.
“We hire on to be rescuers. We don’t want to be rescued, so we deny we have problems,” Orange County Fire Chief Jeff Bowman said. “The OCFA had a huge hole in its heart today.”
Eric Weuve’s Celebration of Life. https://t.co/kdbv0F9mSq
— Jeff Bekeris (@JeffBekeris) December 20, 2016
The Celebration of Life for Captain Eric Weuve is underway at Pier Plaza. pic.twitter.com/NUyhggCbJ4
— Huntington Beach (@HBCityBeach) December 19, 2016