ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday one of its deputies died following complications due to COVID-19.
The sheriff’s office said Deputy First Class Craig Seijos died in the hospital Thursday morning at 54 years old.
“Craig dedicated much of his life to serving the residents of Orange County,” Sheriff John Mina said in a statement posted to social media. “We will always be grateful for his service and he will never be forgotten.”
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The sheriff’s office said Seijos was with the department for nearly 30 years, starting out his career in 1993. He is described as being someone who “was an extremely generous person” and is survived by his wife and five adult children.
Seijos was a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office FOP Lodge 93.
Seijos “served this community with a dedicated career of selfless service,” the organization wrote. “Rest in Peace Brother!”
Seijos is the third first-responder to die from COVID-19 in Central Florida this week.
The Melbourne Fire Department announced Wednesday Driver Engineer Scott Allender died after a month-long battle with the disease. Port Orange Police Officer Justin White died Thursday, according to the police department.
According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, more than 300 law enforcement officers have died from COVID-19-related illnesses during the pandemic.
Across Central Florida, hospitals are experiencing new record-setting coronavirus patient numbers driven by the delta variant. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, there are 12,888 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Florida as of Thursday afternoon.