JEFFERSON, Ga. -- An elderly man was killed in a lawnmower fire in Jackson County last week, despite the efforts of two off-duty deputies to save his life.
The incident happened on July 3, when Deputy D. Bragg, according to the Gwinnett County sheriff's office, noticed a fire as he drove by a ditch. He turned around to investigate, and that's when he realized the fire was from an overturned riding lawnmower, and that its rider was a couple of feet away, engulfed in flames.
Bragg worked to pull the victim to safety, while a neighbor called 911 and called another neighbor to help. That neighbor was also a Gwinnett County deputy, A. Masters, who is a team leader on the department's rapid response team.
Both Masters and Bragg worked to pull the victim to safety and performed CPR until more help arrived.
"We're saddened to report that the 80 year old victim in this horrific tragedy did not survive," the department said on Facebook. "His family remains in our prayers and we hope that they find a small measure of comfort knowing that two experienced, caring first responders were nearby and did everything possible to save their loved one."
"Merriam-Webster defines a hero as 'one who shows great courage.' We're proud of two deputies who demonstrated great courage when they were suddenly thrust into an emergency scenario last week.
