Young Red Hook, NY Volunteer Firefighter Dies in Dominican Republic
A Hudson Valley volunteer firefighter has died while visiting the Dominican Republic.
Dutchess County Resident Dies While Visiting The Dominican Republic
24-year-old Jeffrey Somang Kiluba passed away on Saturday, October 7th, 2023 according to a GoFundMe page. Kiluba grew up in Dutchess County attending Red Hook High School and SUNY Ulster.
Tim Kiluba, Jeffrey's brother, shared that his younger brother passed away while on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Tim writes:
He had called on Friday expressing excitement to see Mom and Dad again on Sunday. Sadly, on Saturday morning His body was found lifeless. We are in absolute shock and no words can describe what my parents, my sisters Stephanie & Elizabeth, and my youngest brother Simon are going through right now.
The Kiluba family is still waiting for more information about the cause of Jeffrey's death. In the meantime, the family was looking to raise $25,000 to bring Jeffrey home. As of Monday, October 9th, 2023, they have raised over $29,000. If you would like to donate you can find more information on Jeffrey's GoFundMe page.
Red Hook Fire Co. Releases Statement
After news spread of Kiluba's passing a local fire department, with which Kiluba recently started volunteering, released a statement. The Red Hook Fire Company shared the following on their Facebook page:
Members of the Red Hook Fire Company are terribly saddened to learn of the passing of one of our members, Jeff Kiluba. Jeff recently joined our fire department family and was already making it known that he was going to dedicate his heart and soul to the department and the members of our community.
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