A firefighter and father-of-three died tragically in a car crash while responding to an emergency call.
47-year-old Mark Hillier was driving his Suzuki Grand Vitara on A345 in Pewsey, England, when he collided with a BMW and suffered fatal injuries.
According to the reports, the doting dad was responding to an emergency call with his three pet dogs at the time of the incident.
His grieving wife, Holly, and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue have since paid touching tributes to the “brave” man with “unwavering dedication and sense of duty.”
“Mark lived and breathed for the fire service, it was a calling he embraced with his whole heart.point 348 |
Mark died responding to a fire call, one of probably only a handful he didn’t turn out for.point 76 | His bravery, sense of duty and unwavering dedication to serve his community in Pewsey and the communities in Salisbury and Surrey, alongside his brothers and sisters, he held so dear,” Holly said.point 243 | 1
“The love he had for his fire service family was unquestionable. We were so proud of him. For the last six years, when not on duty, Mark has worked tirelessly to build us our forever home.
“We are so grateful to him for that. He was not only a great firefighter, but a skilled carpenter and craftsman, becoming a Jack of all trades.”
Wiltshire Live also reported that Hillier worked as a firefighter for nearly three decades and that he became a watch manager after initially working as a full-time firefighter.
“Mark also made sure to make time for our four beautiful spaniels. Mark was responding to the call while out with three of our spaniels. That night, two of our dogs, Teddy and Coco also died with Mark, and Joey died a few hours later at the vets,” the grieving wife added.
“The intense pain and devastation of losing Mark and our dogs is unimaginable and indescribable, we are broken and will never be whole again. The house is quiet. A huge part of our family has been ripped from us.
“We will be forever proud of you, as we knew you were of us. Your bravery, selflessness and countless lives saved will be remembered always. You will be forever celebrated and cherished. Mark, Dad, we love you wholeheartedly with everything we have. We miss you immensely. Until we meet again. Love you forever and always.”
Our thoughts remain with Mark’s loved ones during this challenging time.