Man had high alchohol level during rescue dive
Published: October 15, 2009
Updated: October 15, 2009
TIVERTON, R.I.—An off-duty firefighter who died during a water rescue more than a year ago in Tiverton was reportedly drunk at the time.
Gerald Leduc, 52, had a blood alcohol level of 0.25, according to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigation.
The study also found he ignored two colleagues who urged him not to dive.
LeDuc was searching for a boater missing on Stafford Pond last August.
Although he had an underlying cardiac condition, the medical examiner found that “acute intoxication” contributed to his death.
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Reader Reactions
“Falling down plastered drunk off duty fireman”?? When had that occurred? What happened to people doing good deeds? When this firefighter responded he was under the assumption that it was a drowning…he was closest to the scene…a diver…and tried to help. People…really…he lost his life, I suppose he should have been part of the group that stands by and passes judgment on the good people in this world. It is really upsetting to me to see the ridiculous comments that are posted. If I needed help, I would welcome the Gerald Leduc’s in this world.
Well if I am ever in need of rescue, I do NOT want a falling-down-plastered-drunk off-duty fireman attempting to save me, I will happily take the sober ones on duty, thank you very much.
KENNETH ~ at the risk of repeating myself your an a@#hole and need to get a flipping grip! Partyworld dry up and blow away. THIS WAS HIS DAY OFF. HE ATTEMPTED TO SAVE A LIFE AND LOST HIS!
Partyworld is a high school kid. Take a look at the name that should tell you what kind of kid this person is. Unless of course they work at a party store LOL. You have to be a real punk to come up with something like this. You also have a lot of nerve to pick on an Adult who was enjoying their day off. Your name says it all. I do hope you grow up before you get out of high school.
PartyWorld - OMG…enough is enough!!! Jail? Really?? for what exactly??? 2 guys had heart attacks in the water & died… Who you going to charge? Good God, get a life! How hurtful & unrealistic your comments are. You, dear, should be ashamed of yourself. Didn’t see you out there searching for anyone, right?? Or volunteering your time… But you certainly have a lot to say 14 mos later!
What continues to get lost in this “debate” is that this man was NOT on duty! It was HIS day OFF. He lived on that pond, heard there was a problem & proceeded to VOLUNTEER his efforts! Seriously…are you telling me that given the same situation where you were in the middle of that pond when one of the worst rainstorms of the year appears & your stuck in there, you wouldn’t want someone, anyone to help you???? You weren’t there, you didn’t lose your family member. No one got hurt, but Gerald! Joe was already gone & people who weren’t Firefighters or Police were first on the seen to pull his Fiance out of the water (thank you, by the way!!!). Are you going to check their ETOH levels? I don’t think so! Find something better to do, than tarnish this man!!! Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate what Alcohol does to people’s lifes, This guy Gerald fifty two years old an off duty fire fighter did what comes natural to him, he tried to save someone else. Being a good man and father with all his experiences even Alcohol related ones and training the only thing that hurt him was his thought process and that was inhibited
by Alcohol.
It wasn’t a teacher with a past problem it wasn’t a troubled teenager it wasn’t some homeless person it wasn’t some small innocent child riding with a drunk driver and it wasn’t a State trooper fighting at some bar with a cop but it was a fire fighter who died and just like these people where effected by Alcohol.
Our country dosn’t want to get serious about Alcohol related deaths
because of the economic impact it would have, so we just point fingers at people that become addicted and say what bad people they are.
What kind of person would drive?
What kind of person would do that to a child?
What kind of teacher would go to school like that?
What kind of State trooper would sucker punch another Cop?
What kind of airplane Pilot would fly like that.
What kind of doctor would operate like that.
Any of these stories ring a bell well it should they all happened recently from the effects of Alcohol .
With all this depressing news from Alcohol I think I will head to the nearest F.O.P.club tonight an pick a fight with a drunk cop and sue the city.
God Bless Our Drunk Country
At this point I am unsure of the purpose of dragging Gerald Leduc’s name through the mud. He did what he felt was the right thing to do that day. Everyone may not agree with that, and that is understandable. There were many opinions of what transpired that afternoon. I am, personally,grateful for his rescue efforts. He had no reason that day to jump in the water to help save my brother, other than to attempt to do the “right” thing. Did that backfire on him? Sadly, he lost his life for it.
I do believe the facts need to be more accurate. Since the beginning it has been said Joseph Traficante was a drowning victim. In reality, Joe was a very strong swimmer and did NOT “drown”. Joe had stopped breathing & died of a massive heart attack prior to going under (so it is accurate to say that this was a recovery effort right from the beginning). Would he, in good mind, have gone in if he thought that any of this would have transpired?? Absolutely NOT!!! Would Gerald have gone into the water to try to find him?? NO!!! Would both of them still be here today if this never happened??? Possibly… We’ll never know. Reality is that we can’t change the past, we can only move ahead and pray they are in a much better place.
I guess my point being is that this man, regardless of his “intoxication”, tried to do for my brother what my family & I were unable to do that day. No matter how you look at it, it was a horrible tragedy!
I have no doubt in my mind that they met in Heaven & Joe gave Gerald a strong handshake & a heartfelt “Thank you”. Stop defaming this man’s name & let his family move on & find peace. God knows this is exactly what we are trying to do.
In our eyes Gerald did his very best that day for a perfect stranger and we for one will always keep him in our hearts and prayers.
THANK YOU GERALD LEDUC! We will NEVER forget!
Holly Roy & The Traficante Family
amadeus02813 what part of OFF DUTY did you miss? he lived on the same pond. I don’t believe he even had to drive to the scene. he was OFF DUTY!
ok, lets put it this way. He was three times the legal limit (3x’s). Ok to jump in the water and try to save someone. So it must be ok for him to jump in a rescue and drive somewhere to save someone
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