‘Great father, loving brother and wonderful friend’: Veteran firefighter killed in tragic NSW accident named
Tributes have flowed for a veteran NSW firefighter crushed by a fallen tree in a bushfire zone, with his family remembering him as a “great father” and “loving brother”.
The veteran firefighter who was struck by a tree and killed as he helped his team prepare for tactical a backburn has been identified as John Lohan.
Mr Lohan, a firefighter for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), suffered a heart attack on a property at Nerong after being crushed by a tree about 10:45pm on Sunday.
Emergency services rushed to the scene but Mr Lohan died before he could be revived.
In a statement released through the NPWS, Mr Lohan’s family said his passing had come as a “profound shock”.
“John was a great father, loving brother, and wonderful friend to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed,” the family said through the statement.
His family expressed their gratitude from the general public for their condolences, kind words and support during this “heartbreaking time”.
“We are also deeply grateful to John’s co-workers for their compassion and strength,” the statement reads.
“We extend a heartfelt thank you to the men and women of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Their ongoing contributions to our community often go unrecognised, and we truly value the role they play on the front line every day.”
The 59-year-old was a “treasured and long-serving member” of the NPWS, and for nearly 30 years had been based at Lake Munmorah depot, according to a statement from the NPWS.
Mr Lohan was also an experienced firefighter, having been deployed to fires across the NSW and was working as a Divisional Commander.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe previously described Mr Lohan as a veteran field officer who began his career with the national parks in 1996 and the depot 25 years ago.
“My thoughts are with his family, but my thoughts are also with the National Parks and Wildlife Service,” Ms Sharpe said.
“This is a very close and well-networked group, with someone who has been in the service for that long, there are many people who are touched today.”
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said Mr Lohan’s death would be felt among the community and other firefighters.
“As this firefighter was moving around the fire ground, checking in on colleagues to make sure everyone was safe, making sure everyone had the right information on the fire ground, a tree fell on (him) and (he) tragically lost his life due to those injuries,” he told reporters on Monday.
Mr Curtin said the firefighter’s actions helped reduce the threat of further devastation.
“His efforts on the fire ground to make sure our five orders was set and informed about all the things that needed to happen on the ground are testament to the work he performed.”
Originally published as ‘Great father, loving brother and wonderful friend’: Veteran firefighter killed in tragic NSW accident named
