By Chris Essig
The Register-Mail
AVON, Ill. —An Avon first responder died while in the line of duty during Tuesday’s blizzard.
Dan Dare, 52, was on his way to a residence in Greenbush where reportedly a 2-year-old was in distress. The call was cancelled, however, and Dare began to return home.
On his way, Dare had a heart attack and was taken to a local fire station, said Kay McKinley, director of Avon First Responders.
At the time of the call, Dare was with his daughter’s boyfriend who first stopped by the Dare’s home, said Dare’s wife Kathy. The family lives about four miles outside of Avon and had to battle the worst of the storm just to make it to the fire station.
“I felt so hopeless,” Kathy said. " We were fighting so many things.”
Responders at the station tried to perform CPR to no avail. Other local agencies also attempted to respond but were unable because Tuesday’s blizzard made navigating county roads nearly impossible.
“Unfortunately we are in no man’s land,” McKinley said.
Dare died at 1 a.m. Wednesday.
The same day, members of Galesburg Hospitals’ Ambulance Service found out an Avon man had died during the storm before medics responded to the scene. But they did not know until Thursday that it was a first responder, said Brian Anderson, director of education for GHAS.
“All the agencies are very solemn today,” he said. “The guys are busy ... but it’s still in the back of their minds.”
Some GHAS members knew Dare, including Heath Gibbons, who had taken some of the same calls with him in the past while working with Abingdon First Responders.
"(He was) a dedicated person,” he said.
Avon First Responders, which is composed of 12 volunteers, works both nights and weekends. McKinley estimated Dare has been with them for roughly 20 years and considered him the “mainstay” of the department.
“He’s always been there for us,” she said. “It’s going to be a huge, huge loss for the whole community.”
Dare also volunteered with the local fire department.
“He tried to help everyone that he could,” Kathy said.
Dare was member of Abingdon Jaycees, Avon Lions Club, Avon Summer Ball Board and Avon Businessmen Association. He has also been a volunteer for the John Deer Classic for the past two years.
Kathy added he was an active outdoorsman who liked to hunt turkey and deer. He was also an avid sports fan who enjoyed watching his kids play ball.
“It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” she said.
Republished with permission from The Register-Mail