Feb. 6, 2023 Ormond Beach FF/Medic Ethan Wilson, 33, was found unresponsive in the water at New Smyrna Beach.
By Madeleine List Source The Charlotte Observer (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A firefighter died three days after a surfing accident at a Florida beach, officials said.
Ethan Wilson, 33, was surfing Feb. 1 at New Smyrna Beach when he was found unresponsive in the water, according to a statement from the City of Ormond Beach. He was pulled from the water and admitted to an intensive care unit at a hospital, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a statement.
“Sadly, this 33-year-old husband and father never made the recovery his many friends and loved ones were hoping for,” the statement says.
Wilson died on Feb. 4, according to the City of Ormond Beach.
“Ethan proudly served our community with bravery and commitment for many years, always putting the safety and well-being of others before his own,” the statement says.
Wilson worked as a firefighter and paramedic with the Ormond Beach Fire Department, according to the city. He previously worked in the 911 communications center with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, according to Chitwood.
Wilson had a wife, Ashley, and an infant son, Coast, according to a GoFundMe organized by his brother-in-law. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed surfing and fishing.
“Those who know Ethan know he is the most kind and gentle soul one could ever hope to meet,” the GoFundMe says. “Whether you know him from the brewery, CrossFit, the beach, or the firehouse — he’s probably put a smile on your face.”
After his death, Wilson’s organs were donated to people in need, his wife wrote on Facebook.
“In true Ethan fashion, his last act as a physical person of this world will be an act of generosity,” she wrote. “The hospital staff has already matched some recipients and Ethan will give those recipients the ability to live a full and healthy life.”
Ashley Wilson did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Feb. 6.
Friends and coworkers remembered Wilson as a person who put others before himself.
“One morning after being up all night, Ethan, and another crew member got off shift, bought new smoke detectors, wired, and installed them into an elderly citizen’s house who had no other means,” a coworker wrote on Facebook. “He didn’t hesitate. That was Ethan.”
The City of Ormond Beach called Wilson’s death a “tremendous loss.”
“He will be deeply missed, and his selfless spirit will live on in the lives he touched,” the city said in a statement. “… We will always remember and honor his sacrifices and his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting our community.”
New Smyrna Beach, which is about 55 miles northeast of Orlando, was named the deadliest beach in the U.S., according to a January report from the travel blog Travel Lens.