Funeral held for N.S. firefighter who drowned while saving son

The funeral for the 38-year-old firefighter who died last week while trying to save his son at a waterfall near Tatamagouche, N.S., was held in Lawrencetown on Monday.

Sam London had been a firefighter in the Halifax region for 15 years and he most recently worked at Station 18 in Westphal.

About 150 firefighters lined up on both sides of the entryway to the Good Shepherd Church to pay their respects as London's casket was brought in on a fire truck.

The church was packed with London's family, friends and neighbours.

David Hendsbee, the Halifax regional councillor who represents London's area, was one of the many attendees at the service.

"It was quite a distinguished, distinct sign of respect for Sam — the firefighter that he was, but a father first and foremost," Hendsbee said. "He sacrificed his life to save his son."

Inside the church, Hendsbee said there were regimental flags near the alter and family photos of London everywhere.

He said because the chapel was full, TV screens were set up in an overflow room and speakers were set up outside so people could watch and hear the service.

Leanne Hines, whose daughter goes to school with London's sons, has known the family for about eight years.

"Everybody spoke beautiful, beautiful words. It was really touching to see all three of his sisters give a eulogy together and really stand united to support their brother. It was really nice to see," Hines said.

In addition to the firefighters, she said there was also a large turnout of people from the École des Beaux-Marais school community in Porters Lake.

Hines said moving forward, she and others from the community will continue to be there for London's family.

"We need to keep the kids and [London's wife] in our mind, even after today. The service ending doesn't mean that it's time to give up on a family that's going to be going through a really hard time to process all of this," she said.

An obituary for London was published over the weekend.

It said he would be remembered for his bravery and commitment to keeping the community safe.

The obituary said he was a family man who was a loyal fan of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs, but he loved watching his children's sports games the most.

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