(NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA / The Journal) — Two 19-month-old children of volunteer firefighters who died during their work battling Australia's bushfires as part of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) honored their late fathers. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, were firefighters who both died when their truck, part of a NSW RFS convoy, rolled off the road at 11:30 pm local time on December 19, 2019 after being hit by fallen tree in Buxton while on their way to the Green Wattle Creek fire. 3 other firefighters who were on that truck survived with injuries in stable condition and were taken to local Liverpool Hospital. All of them were from the Horsley Park rural fire brigade of the NSW RFS, which is the local fire station/department for the city of Horsley Park, a southwestern suburb of Sydney, and surrounding areas in the state of New South Wales.
The children of Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O'Dwyer were born just days apart and honored their fathers during their funerals. Harvey Keaton and Charlotte O'Dwyer, who are both 19 months old, were alongside their mothers, Jess Hayes, Geoffrey's fiancee and Melissa O'Dwyer, Andrew's wife, during the funerals. They were joined by the captain of the Horsley Park brigade, Darren Nation, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, who presented Harvey and Charlotte with their fathers' posthumous Commissioner's Commendation Medals for Extraordinary Service and Bravery. The Commissioner's Medal is the highest honor that can be given to a NSW RFS firefighter.
The deceased, Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O'Dwyer, are remembered fondly by their families and the brigade. Keaton was the brigade's Deputy Captain. NSW RFS Deputy Commissioner said that the Horsley Park brigade was very close and that their deaths will "impact significantly" their surviving colleagues. Prime Minister Morrison, who is a Liberal Party member, said in a statement that he would return to Australia as soon as possible given Keaton and O'Dwyer's deaths. He was on vacation with his family in Hawaii for a week during the bushfires, which was criticized by the national public and opposition Labour politicians. O'Dwyer was, according to the ABC and Yahoo! Australia News, an amateur photographer on Instagram who showed the world from his point of view as a new father and firefighter. Just hours before he died, O'Dwyer posted to his account a photo of a row of NSW RFS fire trucks in Picton that was entitled "Night shift". Before the account was taken private, Yahoo! Australia News noted that his bio read “Explore, discover, adventure and enjoy what's right in front of you because it might not be there tomorrow.” The NSW RFS is currently raising money for both Keaton and O'Dwyer's families in the weeks after they died. The Australian Red Cross is also accepting monetary donations for their Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund, as they offer support to those in emergency shelters and distribute grants to those whose homes were affected by the bushfires.
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