APOPKA, Fla. – An Apopka firefighter who died after being injured on the job last year was voted 2022 Firefighter of the Year, according to the Apopka Fire Department.
Apopka Firefighter Austin Duran was hospitalized for weeks and underwent several surgeries after he was hurt while trying to move a sand trailer in June 2022, fire officials said.
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However, Duran ultimately died in July 2022.
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On Monday, the fire department announced that Duran had been voted Firefighter of the Year for 2022.
According to the department, Duran had joined as a “Fire Explorer” while he was still in high school, and officially joined the department in 2020.
“Over these last 8 months Austin has been our strength, our courage, and our light shining in our darkest night,” the department posted on social media. “His positive attitude and innocent outlook on life continually shined through in that smile we all remember and grew to love and will be the definition of the legacy he has left behind.”
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