Diksmuide/New YorkWhile visiting firefighters in New York, Diksmuideling Johnny Beernaert was killed in a boat accident on the East River. The West Fleming suffered life-threatening injuries when the fire boat he was sitting on was hit by a tourist boat. He later died in hospital. Four others were also injured but survived.
Johnny Beernaert, who joined the Diksmuide fire brigade 25 years ago and has since also been active as a diver and ambulance driver, has had friends with the fire service in the United States for some time now. Internships he participated in in 2015 and 2018 in Oakland and Prince Georges County played a significant role in this. Earlier this month, he flew to the USA for a vacation that again included a number of meetings with local firefighters.
(read more below the photo)
Fatal injuries
On Friday evening around 10 p.m. local time, Johnny Beernaert sailed on a fireboat on the East River. There it collided with a tourist boat in unknown circumstances. De Diksmuideling suffered life-threatening injuries and died shortly after being transferred to Bellevue Hospital. Four other people were also injured, albeit much less badly: a New York firefighter and three civilians, reportedly including Heidi Vermandel, Beernaert’s wife. Everyone on the other boat involved in the accident was unharmed.
escaped death
Johnny Beernaert, a very popular figure in the fire service circles, escaped death earlier. In January 2009, he and his younger colleague Bart Sansen suffered life-threatening injuries when an explosion occurred in a house along the Eikhofstraat in Diksmuide. The duo had entered fully equipped to do a reconnaissance for the roof fire that was raging. Both suffered permanent injuries from the explosion but fought like lions and successfully to get back to work with the fire service.
Huge grief for the crashed firefighter Andy (50) who recently proposed to his girlfriend: “Most amazing person I’ve ever encountered”
Firefighters’ family hit by bus accident: “We don’t blame anyone, little Niyah is the most important now”
Brother and sister injured in accident on Rijksweg in Izegem: oldtimer Beetle completely lost
This content includes cookies from social media or other external platforms. Because you have disabled these cookies, this content will remain hidden. Please accept social media cookies to still display the content.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
Yes, I want free unlimited access
Tags: Firefighter Johnny survived explosion collision water colleagues York fatal Diksmuide
 survived explosion but collision on the water with colleagues in New York was now fatal | Diksmuide){kind=link}