NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released Monday the autopsy findings for fallen firefighter Ricardo Torres, Jr.
Torres Jr., 30, of the New Haven Fire Department, died on May 12 following a house fire on Valley Street.
Another firefighter, Lt. Samod Rankins, was taken to the Bridgeport Hospital burn unit for critical injuries. Rankins family said he continues to improve.
Two other firefighters and a resident were treated and released.
The OCME reported the cause of death as asphyxia due to lack of breathing gas. They ruled it an accidental death.
Torres was said to want to be a firefighter since he was a little boy, and the New Haven Fire Department is mourning his death. In July, Torres would have been with the department for two years.
The fire was called that Wednesday morning around 1 a.m. Officials said the heavy fire was in the basement and the first floor of the home, and two people were trapped including an 84-year-old woman.
A mayday call was put out by Torres who was up on the second floor of the home. Officials said Torres reported being lost and disoriented. When other firefighters arrived to his location, they found Torres and Rankins unconscious.
Rankins has since been released from the hospital and is recovering.
Torres was laid to rest on May 19.
A GoFundMe page was set up by the New Haven firefighter union to help the Torres family with expenses. You can view the page here.
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