JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — A Louisiana paramedic who died after an ambulance fell on him will be laid to rest Tuesday.
WWLTV.com reported Brian Shepler, 44, and another EMT were helping a mechanic repair an ambulance that was on a vehicle lift when the ambulance fell off and trapped Shepler. Responders rushed Shepler to the hospital, but he died shortly after arrival.
Friends and family Shepler said they will remember him for his larger than life personality and sense of humor.
“We could just be sitting watching television and all of a sudden he would break into a silly dance or just tell a joke. He was just all about people. He loved people. He liked helping people,” Michael Demarco, Shepler’s partner, said.
His passion for people led to a 20-year career as a paramedic.
“There was not a person in the world that didn’t meet him and just fall in love with him instantly,” Demarco said. “His purpose in life was to make people feel better whether it be medical or just making them smile.”
The other EMT involved suffered minor injuries and the mechanic was not hurt. Authorities are still investigating what caused the ambulance to fall.
Watch the video of friends and family remembering paramedic Brian Shepler here.