"Very hard:" Firefighters were hanging posters for fundraiser ahead of banquet when fatal crash happened



WALDO -- Several in Sheboygan County are mourning the loss of a volunteer firefighter. He was killed in a rollover crash on Saturday, February 4th. Two other Waldo firefighters were hurt.

The first responders who rushed to the scene of the crash near Blueberry Lane and Pheasant Valley Road in the Town of Lyndon around 4:30 p.m. Saturday knew the victims. Firefighters went on to rescue firefighters.

Ryan Moyer's boots and helmet were placed outside the Waldo Fire Department as a symbol of the department's loss.

The 31-year-old was putting up posters for an upcoming Waldo Fire Department fundraiser Saturday -- joined by two other firefighters. The truck Moyer was driving flipped in a ditch, and officials said Moyer was thrown from the truck and killed.

Two other volunteer firefighters were hurt.

Waldo Fire Department



After putting up posters, the three were expected at the Waldo Fire Department's banquet at the local supper club Saturday evening.

"As we got to the banquet, we were told what had happened and we had lost Ryan," Jim Parrish said.

Many of the Waldo firefighters heard the call come in for the crash. Firefighters from nearby communities in Adell and Cascade took over for those at the banquet. But still, many of the responding firefighters immediately recognized the victims.



"Probably knew the truck when they saw it. Firefighting, it's a brotherhood, a sisterhood. It's a tight-knit community," Parrish said.

Officials with the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office came to the banquet to give the firefighters all the facts surrounding the crash, as the banquet turned from a celebration to a gathering of support.

Waldo Fire Department



One of the firefighters hurt in the crash was Nick Tebeest, who was to be named Firefighter of the Year. Moyer received that award in 2014.



"It's a very small department -- a tight-knit community, and this type of thing is very hard on everyone," Parrish said.

Investigators said they're looking at speed and alcohol as possible factors in this crash.

Ryan Moyer



Moyer is survived by his wife and three-month-old son.