A veteran firefighter died Wednesday while on a call around the corner from his home, according to city officials.
Gerald "Bear" Celecki, 70, collapsed after responding to a call concerning the smell of gas at a home on Parker Avenue, said South Amboy Fire Chief Michael Geraltowski.
"We don't know exactly what happened yet," Geraltowski said Wednesday afternoon.
The chief said firefighters found Celecki lying face down on the ground near the scene of the fire call, which came in at 8:16 a.m.
Paramedics took Celecki to Raritan Bay Medical Center, where he died a short time later.
Celecki grew up in Perth Amboy and served as a volunteer at the Perth Amboy Fire Department before moving to South Amboy and becoming a firefighter there. In all, he spent more than 50 years as a fireman, according to the chief.