Firefighter who fell through skylight dies from injuries

DENVER — A Denver firefighter who was injured while fighting a fire last month died Wednesday night.

FOX 31 reported that firefighter John Whelan was on a routine call of a dumpster fire on June 28. Crews put out the fire quickly, and Whelan and other firefighters climbed onto the roof to be sure the fire did not spread.

That’s when Whelan stepped on a skylight and fell about 25 feet onto the concrete below. He suffered injuries that included a broken arm, broken ribs and some internal injuries, according to the report.

Denver Fire said in a news release that Whelan was taken to a hospital with shortness of breath and he was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m. after going into cardiac arrest.

"Situations like this are a constant reminder that the work done by our firefighters is dangerous and they put their life and safety on the line regularly to protect our community," Denver Fire Department Chief Eric Tade said in June after the fire.

Whelan was a 15-year veteran of the department.