CARY, N.C. — A firefighter died Wednesday morning after becoming ill while working at the fire station.
Firefighter Jon Schondelmayer, 44, with Swift Creek Rural Fire Department, told his crew members that he was going to go home to get some medicine and would return to the station shortly, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
His crew became concerned when he left and called him on his cell phone to check to see how he was doing. While on the phone, firefighter Schondelmayer said he did not feel well and needed help, according to the report.
His fellow firefighters arrived at his house and found firefighter Schondelmayer unresponsive, began administering medical aid and contacted their company for assistance, according to the report.
Emergency responders worked for 50 minutes trying to revive firefighter Schondelmayer, but he died “from a nature and cause of injury still to be determined and reported,” according to USFA.
Firefighter Schondelmayer was also a fire captain with the Cary Fire Department, N.C., and had just come off of a busy shift that included several emergency response runs before beginning duty that day with the Swift Creek Rural Fire Department.