VIDEO: The growing vigil for 20-year-old Tiquann "T.J." Davis Jr., near St. Paul's Marshall Avenue bridge, is both a sad and frustrating reminder of what's at stake for the St. Paul Fire Department.
"A tragedy occurred here and it's happened in the past," said Steve Sampson, Deputy Chief of Operations for the St. Paul Fire Department. "That is probably the hardest thing for us to grapple with, is the fact that this is preventable." Sampson says Davis and four other young adults were attempting to explore the storm sewer outfall that opens at the Mississippi River early Sunday morning, when a quick moving thunderstorm moved through and put their lives in immediate danger.