Dariel Vasquez will always be remembered as a hero. The 18-year-old New York State forest ranger, who had just graduated from high school, lost his life while attempting to assist in putting out the five thousand-acre Jennings Creek fire at Greenwood Lake.
People reports that the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which hired Vasquez, issued a news release stating that the teen was fatally injured on Saturday at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time due to “a fallen tree in the vicinity of the fire.”
Although attempts were made to save Vasquez’s life, his employers declared that he could not be saved.
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As they gathered on his school’s baseball field on Monday to say goodbye, his family and friends shared wonderful memories of him.
He was working for the state and a nearby grocery store to save money before he started college upstate in January, according to his aunt, Mayelin Vasquez. She said that his willingness to serve was just who he was.
She told Pix11, “A young kid. Funny, with a lot of excitement—a lot of life to live. An amazing person, an amazing kid. He just saw it; it was an opportunity to make a difference. There’s a fire—they need us. It was a normal day for him. 11:30 a.m., he left his house to head over to Greenwood Lake, as he was told. He didn’t expect this to happen.”
The teen’s coach and teammates characterized him as “the hardest worker” who began playing baseball in the ninth grade—a newcomer who made the Varsity squad by his sophomore year and was team leader and captain by his senior year.
District Superintendent Anthony DiCarlo also released a statement, which reads in part, “… Dariel was a dedicated student and a gifted athlete—a leader among his classmates and teammates. We send our thoughts and condolences to Dariel’s family during this difficult time.”
After his memorial, everyone gathered for a walk to home base, where they all counted together to seven, the number Vasquez wore on his jersey, before deploying an array of colorful balloons into the clear blue sky.
The family has established a GoFundMe campaign to assist them at this difficult time. The fundraiser has raised over $73,000.
Vasquez’s family wrote in the GoFundMe description, “In his final moments, Dariel was courageously battling a wildfire in Sterling Forest, sacrificing his own safety to protect his community. His bravery and selflessness in those last moments were a reflection of his pure heart and unwavering commitment to others.”
