NJ firefighter dies after falling into icy Delaware River in Camden
Loved ones are mourning a firefighter who died after he fell into the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey.
The Camden firefighter was performing a routine maintenance inspection on a fire boat near the Wiggins Park Marina around 11 a.m. on Thursday when he somehow ended up in the water, officials said.
In a social post, the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey identified the firefighter as Howard Bennett.
“It’s a fire boat. It’s what we use to fight fire off the shoreline. We usually have a team of four that goes down there,” Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax said.
According to Flax, Bennett was in the water for about 30 minutes before rescue crews pulled him out.
At the time Bennett was in the river, the water temperature was about 35 degrees. When your body hits water at that temperature, it experiences what’s known as “cold shock” which can cause changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. It can also cause you to lose control of your arms, legs, hands and feet in a manner of seconds.
Bennett was taken to Cooper University Hospital. During an afternoon news conference, Camden City Mayor Victor Carstarphen confirmed that Bennett died.
“Any loss hurts all of us,” Carstarphen said. “Today’s loss, it hurts every one of us.”
“The city of Camden’s prayers are with the family because he wasn’t just a public servant,” Carstarphen said. “He was a husband. He was a brother. A father that committed his adult life to serving and protecting and being there for our residents in the city.”
Pete Perez, the president of Local 788, the union that represents firefighters in Camden, New Jersey, said that he knew Bennett well.
“I had the pleasure of having him train me,” Perez said. “I will say he was very versed in boating. He was our guy for when it came to the boat stuff and he had that reputation.”
Officials continue to investigate the incident.
“Devastated by the tragic passing of a veteran firefighter today in South Jersey. My thoughts are with his family and the Camden Fire Department during this difficult time,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherill wrote in a post on social media.
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