A long time servant of Jefferson Davis County and the town of Bassfield died in the line of duty on Tuesday.
Bassfield Volunteer Fire Chief Bill Matthews, a retired Marine, was found slumped over in his fire truck on the scene of a brush fire. Mayor Patricia Courtney said a firefighter was manning the hose and called to Matthews to move the truck and got no response. The firefighter pulled Matthews from the truck and began CPR.
"They got the ambulance there, but it was already too late," Courtney said.
The chief had died as a result of a massive heart attack, Coroner Jim Slater said.