Volunteer Honoured
Newcastle Herald
Monday October 13, 2008
HUNTER man Patrick Gehrig has been honoured, along with two other men, on a memorial dedicated to emergency service volunteers who have died in the line of duty.
The 47-year-old died fighting a fire on his family property in September 2000.His name was added to the Volunteers Memorial Roll of Honour in a service at Mrs Macquarie's Chair near Sydney Harbour yesterday.Mr Gehrig was Wallarobba Rural Fire Service Brigade secretary treasurer and a member with more than 30 years' service when he went to fight a fire on the family's dairy farm near Welshman's Creek.During the day he became ill and returned to the fire truck to rest but collapsed and died a short time later.Tony Gehrig said his brother was community-driven, loved his job as a teacher and involved himself in many organisations such as the cricket club and fire service.Mr Gehrig has also been honoured by the Wallarobba Rural Fire Service Brigade, which dedicated its new tanker to his memory in 2003.Forty seven years after his death, Breaside man Jack McLean was also honoured on the memorial for his sacrifice while volunteering for the Rural Fire Service.Mr McLean was crushed by a tank of water when the trailer on which it was mounted overturned.Wauchope State Emergency Service volunteer Albert Lilley, who died shortly after removing a tree from a racetrack, was also honoured.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald