The veteran firefighter who died after being struck by a falling tree during backburn preparations has been identified as 59-year-old John Lohan.
Lohan, a long-serving firefighter with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), suffered a heart attack on a property at Nerong on Sunday night after being crushed by the tree at about 10:45pm.
Emergency crews arrived quickly but were unable to revive him.
In a statement issued through the NPWS, Lohan’s family said his death had come as a “profound shock”.
“John was a great father, loving brother, and wonderful friend to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed,” the statement read.
His family also thanked members of the public for their condolences and support during this “heartbreaking time”.
“We are also deeply grateful to John’s co-workers for their compassion and strength,” they said.
“We extend a heartfelt thank you to the men and women of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Their ongoing contributions to our community often go unrecognised, and we truly value the role they play on the front line every day.”
According to the NPWS, Lohan was a “treasured and long-serving member” of the service who spent nearly three decades based at the Lake Munmorah depot. He was an experienced firefighter who had been deployed to multiple major fires across NSW and was working as a Divisional Commander at the time of his death.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe paid tribute to Lohan, describing him as a veteran field officer who began his career with the service in 1996 and had been with the Lake Munmorah depot for 25 years.
“My thoughts are with his family, but my thoughts are also with the National Parks and Wildlife Service,” Sharpe said.
“This is a very close and well-networked group, with someone who has been in the service for that long, there are many people who are touched today.”
NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said Lohan’s death would be deeply felt across the firefighting community.
“As this firefighter was moving around the fire ground, checking in on colleagues to make sure everyone was safe, making sure everyone had the right information on the fire ground, a tree fell on (him) and (he) tragically lost his life due to those injuries,” he told reporters on Monday.
Curtin said Lohan’s actions on the ground had helped reduce the risk of further disaster.
“His efforts on the fire ground to make sure our five orders was set and informed about all the things that needed to happen on the ground are testament to the work he performed.”
Images: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
