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First Responders Pronounce One Of Their Own Dead After Fall

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – First responders in central Minnesota responded to a traumatic call over the weekend when they had to pronounce one of their own dead after he fell onto a concrete patio in the middle of the night.

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office said Chad Kraemer, a member of the Cold Spring Fire Department's rescue squad, died at a home just north of Cold Spring. He fell to his death from a sliding glass door to the concrete patio below, a distance of about 10 feet.

It's not clear when Kraemer fell, but the 911 call came in around 4:40 a.m., the sheriff's office said. Family members reported that Kramer went to bed Saturday between 11 p.m. and midnight.

First responders from the fire department worked to treat Kraemer's wounds, and a helicopter was called to transport him to a hospital. Despite their efforts, Kramer died at the scene.

The sheriff's office says the sliding glass door that Kraemer fell from was the type that would typically lead out to a deck, although this home had no desk installed.

The glass door had no device to stop it from being used.

On social media, nearby fire departments expressed their condolences.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cold Spring Fire Department and their families as they mourn the loss of one of their own," Kimball Fire and Rescue wrote.

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