U.S. Fire AdministrationThe U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official line of duty death of Firefighter Donald “Donnie” Adkins, 32, of the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department on March 13, 2010.
Firefighter Adkins was part of a swift water rescue team working on a mutual aid rescue detail. He and two others were in a boat when the motor struck a piece of submerged material causing the motor to quit and the boat to drift away and capsize. Two team members made it to safety but Firefighter Adkins went missing. The men were attempting a rescue in the Beaver area at the time and had already fought the currents to rescue 11 people in another part of the county.
After almost seven days of searching in challenging terrain under very difficult circumstances, a body has been recovered from Beaver Creek near the accident site where the rescue boat tipped over. Identification is pending autopsy.
Funeral Arrangements:Pending
Memorial Fund Contact and Address:Donations in honor of Firefighter Donald Adkins can be made c/o the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 190, 119 Tompkins AVE, Glasgow, WV 25086-0190.
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Donald Adkins at
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/To date, 15 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2010; 14 from incidents that occurred in 2010 and 1 from a previous year incident. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at
http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats....