FDNY firefighter dies saving son

A beloved Brooklyn firefighter drowned in frigid Lake Tahoe during a desperate attempt to save his 10-year-old son, who was fighting to stay afloat in the choppy waters after suffering a leg cramp. Martin Simmons, 41, a 17-year-veteran out of Bedford-Stuyvesant's Ladder Co. 111, was lost in the murky tide before rescuers could reach him. His exhausted brother-in-law had also jumped in to help, and was barely treading water as he gripped the child, who had lost consciousness, witnesses said. Both were rescued, and the boy had to be resuscitated. "It was the biggest waves I've ever seen on the lake," said area resident Anthony Battezzato, 18, who helped bring the survivors to shore. Monday's tragedy came two weeks into Simmons' long-anticipated vacation to spend time with his wife, Judi's, relatives in Nevada. "He was so... [read full story]