NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH, Pa. — Northampton Captain Michael Booke suffered a cardiovascular event shortly after completing a 200-yard swim during a water rescue training course, the United States Fire Administration reported.
Fellow first responders immediately began life-saving measures and transported him to a local hospital on Oct. 25. He remained hospitalized under medical care until he died on Nov. 12.
WFMZ reported Booke joined the department in 1998 and served in a variety of roles over his career, ultimately rising to the rank of captain.
Booke had also served as a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and later as the Fire Marshal for Troop M, retiring from the agency in 2017.
Trending
A 16-year-old shot his way into Silver Rail Elementary with a shotgun purchased by his mother before being fatally shot by a bystander, marking the 28th mass killing in the U.S. this year
Lt. Michael England, recovering from surgery after suffering burns and a broken leg in a flashover, says he entered the burning home believing people could be trapped
Portland firefighters worked with TriMet to de-energize overhead power lines before extinguishing a roof-compartment fire fueled by train batteries and A/C units
Fire officials say Proposition 1’s proposed 50% residential property tax cut would force station closures and staffing cuts, since districts rely solely on property taxes with no access to fees or sales tax revenue