MANCHESTER, England — Firefighters are mourning the death of a colleague found hanged at the fire station where he worked.
Sky News reported that firefighter Lee Gaunt, 41, was discovered at 4:40 a.m. by colleagues at Stalybridge fire station Sunday morning and was pronounced dead after they were unable to revive him.
“We are devastated by Lee’s death. He was an extremely well liked and popular member of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and we are utterly distraught that he has gone,” county fire officer Peter O’Reilly said. “We have contacted everyone on Green Watch this morning and it has left the entire service in shock. Our firefighters are brave people but this will test our strength to the extreme.”
Mourners also paid tribute to firefighter Gaunt on social media.
“This was one our finest firemen in Tameside who fit our smoke alarms for deaf people in Tameside,” Mandy Saunders said. “My deepest sympathies go to his family and colleagues in the fire services.”
Gaunt was an upcoming witness in a death investigation of fellow firefighter Stephen Hunt, who died while tackling a fire a shop in Manchester in July 2013.
“We have three priorities today: to look after Lee’s family, his watch and everyone else who is part of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service family,” O’Reilly said. “We are all so sad and it will take some time to sink in but we are supporting each other as much as we can.”