Firefighter killed while having to shield wife in front of Tornado

Laurel County, Ky. (Wkyt/Gray News) – A fireman was killed when he protected his wife during a tornado in Kentucky on Friday evening.

Major Leslie Leatherman reacted to an emergency call from his house when a tornado hit the area and caused widespread damage and several victims.

The dispatchers received a report on an enclosed person and then a structural collapse that points out that the tornado had hit the area.

When the respondents arrived, they found Leatherman and his wife in a field. Leatherman was passed out about his wife, who called for help.

Officials said that Leatherman reacted to the initial fire alarm when he pushed on the woman and used his body to protect her from the storm. The fire brigade said it was unclear whether he realized that it was his wife due to the extreme darkness, storm noise and chaos.

Laurel County's fire brigade said his actions illustrated the “highest ideals of the public service and the victim” and described him a hero who gave his life to protect himself under the most dangerous conditions.

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