Three retired FDNY firefighters suffering from 9/11 illnesses died within 48 hours this week as the number of those succumbing to lethal toxins at Ground Zero continues to swell, officials and 9/11 survivor advocates said Saturday.
Retired FDNY Lt. Timothy O’Neill died on April 2 and Firefighter Kevin Lennon died on April 4 from 9/11-related cancers — nearly 18 years after responding to the terror attacks. A third retired FDNY member, Fire Marshal Michael Andreachi, also died within the same time period, officials said.
Andreachi, 78, had retired from the FDNY before 9/11, but joined the bucket brigades at Ground Zero. While he had a 9/11-related illness and was enrolled in the World Trade Center monitoring program, his death hadn’t been officially linked to his illness by Saturday, officials said.