Longtime Kentucky firefighter died in powerful storm while shielding his wife from danger

LONDON, Ky. -- Kentucky firefighter Leslie Leatherman answered the telephone for help, rushing into harm's mode arsenic helium steadfastly did for decades, erstwhile a late-night tornado plowed done his assemblage successful the Appalachian foothills. It was his last enactment of selflessness, and the idiosyncratic helium protected amid the chaos was his wife.

Leatherman was among 19 radical killed successful Kentucky erstwhile the tempest struck precocious Friday into aboriginal Saturday, arsenic radical successful the way awoke to a terrifying scene. Most victims were from Laurel County successful southeastern Kentucky, wherever Leatherman was a longtime subordinate of a unpaid occurrence department.

Leatherman, 57, died portion shielding his wife, Michelle, from flying debris, said Terry Wattenbarger, lawman main of the Laurel County Fire Department, wherever Leatherman served arsenic a major. He was recovered connected apical of his wife, Wattenbarger said. Michelle Leatherman survived and was successful captious information Tuesday astatine the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital successful Lexington, a spokesperson said.

Wattenbarger said helium thinks it happened close aft the tornado had roared through, erstwhile winds were inactive beardown capable to fling debris into the air. They were recovered successful a tract astir 100 yards (91 meters) from their destroyed home.

“She was screaming,” Wattenbarger said successful an interrogation Tuesday. “I’m definite helium went ... to the archetypal idiosyncratic helium thought helium could help. It conscionable happened to beryllium her.”

The tornado that deed Pulaski and Laurel counties carved a way of much than 55 miles (88 kilometers), according to the National Weather Service successful Jackson, Kentucky. At its peak, the tornado grew to astir a mile (1.6-kilometers-) wide and had winds up to 170 mph (274 kph).

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear paid tribute to Leatherman for his decades of nationalist work portion asking radical to commune for the families of each those who died successful the storm. The Democratic politician said Leatherman "died doing what archetypal responders bash each time – risking his ain beingness for our safety.”

As the tempest approached, Leatherman communicated helium was acceptable to assist, Wattenbarger said. When a occurrence alarm sounded successful his neighborhood, Leatherman indicated that helium was responding. Soon aft that, different firefighter confirmed the tornado was connected the crushed determination and causing monolithic damage.

Emergency workers recovered the Leathermans aboriginal successful the effect but didn't admit them successful the pitch-black dark, officials said. Leatherman was dead, and they tended to Michelle Leatherman. Leslie Leatherman's determination was recorded for aboriginal identification, and rescuers moved connected to assistance different victims.

A abbreviated clip later, authorities started searching for Leatherman aft helium failed to reply vigor calls. Emergency responders returned to find his assemblage and marque the heartbreaking identification.

It was emblematic for Leatherman to unreserved into information to support others, said Wattenbarger, who struck up a lasting relationship with Leatherman erstwhile they were successful precocious schoolhouse together.

“His full life, he’s been a dedicated nationalist servant," the lawman main said. "He had a immense heart. He loved his household much than thing … and conscionable genuinely enjoyed beingness and was conscionable a truly bully person.”

Leatherman, known fondly arsenic Les, was a changeless fig successful exigency services for the region. He started arsenic an exigency aesculapian technician successful Laurel County, past became an exigency dispatcher, archetypal for Laurel County authorities and past for Kentucky State Police, Wattenbarger said.

Most recently, helium served arsenic adjunct manager for the 911 halfway successful neighboring Whitley County.

“He was a precise sincere man, precise hard working, a precise dedicated man,” said Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. “Somebody that younger radical getting into exigency services successful this portion looked up to and looked to for guidance. He was a large mentor to galore of them. We're definite going to miss him.”

Leatherman besides served arsenic a occurrence rescue instructor. Brandon Wagers, a subordinate of the London Fire Department and a chap instructor, said Leatherman's decease volition beryllium felt passim the region.

“He was a bully person,” Wagers said. “He ever had thing bully to say.”

One changeless was Leatherman's astir 39 years of work arsenic a firefighter. Leatherman “put his life’s humor and life’s enactment into being the champion idiosyncratic and champion responder helium could be,” Wattenbarger said.

His decease sent daze waves done the close-knit ranks of their occurrence department.

“We are surviving," Wattenbarger said. "That’s the lone mode we tin picture it. People accidental ‘Are you each OK?’ No we’re not. We’re not OK. We’re surviving, though, due to the fact that that’s what helium would want. We privation to grant his bequest arsenic a department.”