APOPKA, Fla. – The firefighter community in Central Florida will pay their respects to a fallen Apopka firefighter this weekend alongside his family.
Funeral services for 25-year-old Austin Duran, who died weeks after sustaining a significant work-related injury, will be held Saturday in Apopka.
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Private viewings will be held at Loomis Funeral Home on West Main Street that morning, followed by a vehicle procession starting around 11 a.m. from the funeral home to Journey Christian Church on South Orange Blossom Trail.
Funeral services will be held at noon at the church for family, Apopka Fire Department personnel and fire crews from other agencies.
While the services will be closed to the larger public, the Apopka Fire Department said it is grateful for the overwhelming support it’s received from the community.
“From providing meals, visits to the stations, phone calls, and messages all to encourage and uplift us in a time where we are unable to find strength and courage for ourselves. The hearts that have gathered around us are pulsing with their concern, support, and love for us. It is impossible to articulate words that would ever carry the true depth of how thankful we are for each and every single person who has touched our lives,” the agency said in a statement.
Austin Duran, 25, was injured on the job on June 30 when trying to move a sand trailer filled with hazardous liquids and gases.
Duran was transported to the hospital and endured multiple surgeries before succumbing to his injuries.
In a GoFundMe update made on Saturday, Duran’s sister wrote, “Yesterday was a bad day for our family ... Austin fought this fight like a warrior, like a hero.”
The community came together, hosting multiple fundraisers and a tribute run in his honor.
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