Kentucky firefighter dies after Ice Bucket Challenge accident
A Kentucky firefighter has died from burns suffered last month while helping college students participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Capt. Tony Grider, along with three other firefighters from the Campbellsville Fire and Rescue Department, were injured Aug. 21 when their ladder got too close to power lines and became electrified. The firefighters had just doused a university band with water as part of the stunt intended to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Grider, 41, had remained in intensive care since the accident. He died Saturday at the University of Louisville Hospital, according to a fire department statement.
The three other firefighters involved in the accident had been treated and released from the hospital.
In the statement, Grider’s family thanked the community for its support in the weeks since the accident at Campbellsville University, about 80 miles south of Louisville.
The so-called Ice Bucket Challenge has been sweeping social media in recent months. It has raised more than $114 million, according to the ALS Assn.
Follow @kurtisalee and email kurtis.lee@latimes.com
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