Philadelphia

Fellow 1st Responders, City Mourn Veteran Philadelphia Firefighter Who Died on the Job

The Philadelphia Fire Department and city is mourning a veteran firefighter who died on the job Saturday night while working a night shift.

Gabriel Lee, 42, of Ladder Company 12, Engine 50, in North Philadelphia, served more than 20 years in the Fire Department, Commissioner Adam Thiel said on Sunday.

Lee died while working night shift at the North Philadelphia firehouse, officials said. He was found unresponsive in the basement of the firehouse, on Cambria Street between 13th and Broad, overnight and taken to Temple University Hospital. Doctors pronounced him dead there.

"Firefighter Lee was very well-respected, and the best way to say that is around 1 o'clock in the morning, at Temple [Hospital], we had more than 100 firefighters there, the mayor was there, on-duty, off-duty, to say goodbye," Thiel said.

Lee's cause of death is not yet known. Officials said it is under investigation.

The Philadelphia Fire Department on Sunday tweeted a photo of Lee's boots, uniform and hat marking his red locker in the firehouse. Several police and firefighters tweeted tributes to the fallen firefighter.

The Philadelphia Fire Department has confirmed that Gabriel Lee passed away while on the job Saturday night. Sources say Lee was found unresponsive and was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney visited Temple University Hospital to pay his respects to Lee Saturday night. The Philadelphia Police Highway Patrol escorted Lee's body from the hospital to the Medical Examiner's Office.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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