James Riches, the former New York City deputy fire chief and a national spokesman for families who lost loved ones on 9/11, became the latest firefighter to die from an illness related to the attack.
Riches, who recovered his oldest son’s remains in the rubble after the 2001 terror attack in Lower Manhattan, was laid to rest Monday during a funeral at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Firefighters lined the street outside to honor Riches, a 30-year FDNY veteran, who died on Thanksgiving. He was 74. Riches was remembered for his outspoken efforts to ensure 9/11 first responders were never forgotten. He opposed a plea deal for the mastermind of the attacks and fought for the U.S. government to establish a health fund for those sickened by the toxic dust at Ground Zero.
His son, Jimmy Jr., was one of the 342 firefighters who died on 9/11. Every day for six months, he went to Ground Zero looking for his son’s remains, sifting through tons of debris to try and bring him home.
