Minnesota Firefighter on Life Support After Slipping on Ice During Training

Tim Tripp next to his 3 grown sons
GoFundMe

Tim Tripp was attending a training session when he tripped and fell on ice and hit his head, just days before his 50th birthday.

A Minnesota firefighter is on life support after slipping and hitting his head during a routine training exercise. 

Tim Tripp, 50, was attending a training session on Dec. 3 when he slipped on ice and fell, hitting his head, reported KARE 11.

“It was a typical training. It’s something he has literally done a thousand times before. He was just on a patch of ice and took a severe fall,” Minnetonka Fire Chief John Vance told KARE 11.

Tripp is currently on life support and will likely stay in a coma for several weeks while his brain heals, according to KARE 11. 

The fire department Tripp worked for has organized a fundraiser to help cover the costs of his hospital stay and to help his family while he recovers.

According to the GoFundMe, Tripp is currently being treated at the Hennepin County Medical Center, where his family celebrated his 50th birthday on Dec. 12.

In an update to the fundraising page, one of Tripp’s sons, Ethan, said that they will soon begin weaning Tripp off the sedation.

“We are hoping for continued progress. We would all like to thank everyone in the community whether you know him or not who has contributed to supporting our family,” said Ethan. “There has been an overwhelming amount of support across the state and we can’t thank you enough.”

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