By FireRescue1 Staff
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A firefighter has returned to work after falling 100 feet during a training exercise.
KTVA reported that Anchorage Fire Department firefighter Ben Schultz returned to work at the department after falling 100 feet from a ladder turning a training exercise in June 2017.
“It’s good to be back serving the community of Anchorage again and working alongside my brothers and sisters at AFD,” Schultz said.
Schultz broke both ankles, a few ribs and an arm, bruised his liver and suffered a traumatic brain injury due to the fall. He was in a coma for a few months, and later had a shunt placed in his brain to drain fluid.
Due to his injuries, Schultz cannot currently work as a responding firefighter but has taken on a part-time position cataloging AFD historical records, which he believes is crucial work.
“The history of the fire service is pretty important,” he said.
Schultz is due for a medical checkup soon and, depending on if doctors believe the shunt can be removed, he hopes to one day get back to fighting fires.
“Captains on the line have said, ‘The sky’s the limit,’” he said. “I’ve come this far; who knows how far that I’m going to go?”