Santa Cruz resident Daniel Lamothe, a 38-year-old firefighting trainee, has died after a mishap during a firefighter training program in the San Lorenzo Valley over the weekend, according to authorities.
At a session on Sunday at the Ben Lomond Training Center, the volunteer became “medically distressed,” Santa Cruz County officials said.
Despite receiving First Aid, efforts to revive Lamothe were unsuccessful.
An autopsy is being done to determine his cause of death.
“We mourn the passing of one of our brethren,” said County Fire Chief Nate Armstrong. “Daniel wanted to be a firefighter so that he could give back to the community where he was raised and in which he lived. His commitment to public service serves as a model for us all. We grieve along with his friends and family for this sudden and tragic loss.”
