A firefighter was killed Monday during a search for a man who went missing on Lake Norman over the weekend. Two other divers were also injured.
Officials have not said exactly what happened during the search, but confirmed that 28-year-old firefighter Bradley Long, who went into the water earlier Monday searching for a missing 29-year-old man, was killed.
Long, who worked at the Newton Fire Department, was a volunteer with Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue. He was working with Sherrills Ford during the search. WBTV was told he was recently named Firefighter of the Year.
“Today, Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue suffered a tremendous loss during our efforts to recover a drowning victim from the waters of Lake Norman,” said Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire Chief Rick Davis. "This afternoon three divers from our department encountered an emergency during the recovery effort. Unfortunately however, one of our firefighters, Bradley Long, age 28, did not surface and was later recovered and pronounced dead at the scene.”