Hundreds gather for funeral of fallen Cambria Co. firefighter

There are a lot of tragic stories that we have covered over our 75 years of broadcasting.

As we go through our extensive news archive, one thing remains clear, our communities pull together and share the grief after a terrible event.

This was evident in the story of a fallen first responder in November of 1975.

Firefighters from Spangler in Cambria County were rushing to assist Indiana County with a barn fire when the unthinkable happened.

They lose control of their tanker truck, which crashes and catches on fire.

The four firefighters inside this truck were injured.

One of them, 21-year-old Jim Contres Jr., is trapped.

He would later be pronounced dead at Miner’s Hospital.

Later that week, the community and first responders gather to say goodbye to the fallen firefighter.

Our film crew shows hundreds of people waiting to enter the church and then lining the streets for the processional.

In tradition, his casket was carried to the cemetery on the back of a firetruck.

Reports at the time say more than 400 firefighters gathered for Contres’ memorial services.

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