N.C. Deputy Dies after Collapsing Just 2 Hours into 1st Day on Job
By Mark Price
Source The News & Observer (Raleigh)
What to know
- Columbus County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Shipman Jr., 25, collapsed and died from a sudden medical emergency just two hours into his first day on duty.
- He had not yet qualified for departmental life insurance, and the sheriff’s office is raising money for funeral expenses.
- Shipman's cause of death was not released, and a funeral service is set for Aug. 1.
A young deputy collapsed and died his first day on the job in North Carolina, leaving his family scrambling to cover funeral expenses, according to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.
Aaron O’Neal Shipman Jr., 25, “succumbed to a sudden illness” Monday, July 21, according to an S&L Funeral Home obituary.
He was one of nine new employees sworn in at 9 a.m. that day, the sheriff’s office said.
“Tragically, just two hours into their first day of duty, one of our newly sworn detention officers suffered a sudden and severe medical emergency,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.
“Our staff responded immediately and did everything within their power while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical services. ... Despite the valiant efforts of the medical team, the individual sadly passed away.”
The specific cause of Shipman’s death has not been released.
He had not been working long enough to qualify for life insurance coverage through the department, officials said.
The sheriff’s office has launched a community fund drive to help cover the cost of an Aug. 1 funeral service at West Columbus High School in Cerro Gordo.
“When someone raises their hand and takes the oath to serve, they become part of our family,” Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said in a Facebook post.
“We experienced a profound and painful loss — one that words cannot fully capture. We pray for comfort for the family and loved ones of this brave individual, and we grieve with them.”
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