Georgia authorities are investigating the sudden death of a young firefighter who died while sleeping during the first shift of his career Saturday.
20-year-old Efren Medina was found unresponsive by his colleagues at around 3:30 a.m. after responding to an overnight call, St. Marys Fire Department Chief Tom Lackner said.
“Firefighter Medina was a newly hired firefighter and working his first shift,” the department said on Facebook.
“He was known for his longtime passion for firefighting and his love of the fire service.”
The young man was “eager” to begin his career. He had passed all required physical and agility tests before joining the department.
“Everything came back clear, don’t know,” Lackner added. “A 20-year-old shouldn’t be going. You never think that somebody 20 years old isn’t going to wake up from their sleep.”
