Line of Duty Deaths Database

Frank Unwin
Name
Frank Unwin
Local
L0263, Medicine Hat
Gender
Male
Age
50
District
06
Occupation
Captain
Type of Duty
Fire Suppression
Fatal Injury Cause
Overexertion/Stress/Strain - Overexertion/Collapse
Nature of Fatal Injury
Other/Miscellaneous - Heart Attack
Date of Death
8/3/1967
Year Placed On Wall
2015
Multiple Line of Duty Incident
No information available
Name
City/State
Date
Summary
Website Comments
Biographical Comments
The fighting of a stubborn and unreachable fire behind billowing clouds of smoke lead to the death of a city firefighter and an estimate $300,000 damage. Frank Unwin, 50, Captain of the Fire Department's Second Platoon, died of a heart attack suffered during the five-hour battle to contain the blaze. Captain Unwin had joined the Medicine Hat department in 1946.

At 11:10, firefighters, now wearing air-tanks, were grim and gasping as they returned from the smoky shrouds inside the building. "We can't see anything in there. We'll have to cut a hole in the floor to get through". Captain Unwin called for a power saw. It was one of his last acts of command. Shortly after 12:40 he was found slumped down by a doorway, apparently overcome by smoke. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was applied by a firefighter and an ambulance was called. It was announced this morning that Captain Unwin died of a heart attack while being taken to the hospital.
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