Mapp Orders Flags To Be Flown At Half-Staff For Firefighter Who Died In Line Of Duty

ST. CROIX – Governor Kenneth Mapp has ordered the territory’s flags be flown at half-staff in honor of a St. Croix firefighter who died in the line of duty.

Dwayne Thomas, called “Yogi” by friends and coworkers, is said to have suffered a heart attack while he and other firefighters were responding to a structural fire in the Marley housing community, according to a retired firefighter with knowledge of the incident. Mr. Thomas, a driver/operator, drove the fire-fighting vehicle, called a fire engine, to the scene. Once there, Mr. Thomas’s colleagues noticed he was not responding, and moved to administer CPR until the ambulance arrived on the scene. But Mr. Thomas — who had served for 22 years with the V.I. Fire Service — died on the way to the hospital, according to the retired firefighter. The incident occurred on Jan. 24 in the wee hours of the morning, before the 5:00 a.m. hour.

Government House said Mr. Thomas will be honored “for outstanding dedication to the fire department, his fellow firefighters and the territory.” All Virgin Islands flags at Government House and on all local government buildings in the territory will be flown at half-staff, effective immediately, until sunset on the day of his internment, which is Wednesday, February 7, according to Government House.