Fallen Fire Department Diver Juan Bucio's Badge Placed In Hall Of Honor
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Fire Department is honoring a diver who lost his life trying to save someone else's. Juan Bucio died in May as he was searching the Chicago River for a man who fell off a boat.
Tuesday morning, Bucio's badge was placed on the wall of the Hall of Honor at the Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy, alongside the badges of other fallen firefighters.
Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago and Mayor Rahm Emanuel led Bucio's sons, Joshua and Jacob, to the wall where their father's badge now hangs.
"Chicago is a better city, and we are a greater Fire Department because of Juan, and I hope and pray that badge 5115 provides a sense of pride to Joshua and Jacob," Santiago said.
Bucio also has been honored with a sculpture on Michigan Avenue, as part of the second annual "Chicago K9s for Cops" display of dog-shaped statues.
Splashed with a rainbow of vibrant colors and inscribed with various messages--some paying tribute to fallen first responders--the stately-looking ceramic dogs pay homage to the 70 canines in the Chicago Police Department K9 Unit.
Bucio, 46, died on Memorial Day as he and other divers searched the Chicago River for a man who had fallen off a boat. Last month, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office announced Bucio had a rare heart condition that led to his death. The official cause of death as ruled by the medical examiner is asphyxia with depletion of air from his diving tank due to cardiac arrhythmia.
Colleagues have said Bucio was the fastest member of the Fire Department's dive team; and described him as a disciplined and precise swimmer.
The body of the boater Bucio was trying to find, 27-year-old Alberto Lopez, was found days later.
The Chicago Fire Department is continuing its own investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bucio's death and will examine whether protocols were followed.
