VIDEO: Jason Cortez, a beloved San Francisco firefighter-paramedic who was killed during a training accident last week, was knocked over a third-floor railing by a water blast from a valve he had “inadvertently” opened, authorities said in a preliminary report released Sunday. Cortez, 42, was participating in a training drill Wednesday when he was injured. The married father of two died an hour later at a hospital. Fire officials previously described his death publicly as a “training accident.”
His death has rocked the department.
“Jason worked in a variety of assignments and was loved and respected by his colleagues,” the fire department said in a statement. “We are aware of the many speculative reports citing what may have occurred, and ask that you respect Jason, his family, and our department as we determine the factual causes that lead to this tragedy … Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones, especially his wife and two young children.”