POWERS, Oregon — A U.S. Forest Service firefighter from Boulder was killed in an on-duty crash Friday near Powers, Oregon, the agency announced.
Benjamin Charles Sapper, 21, was employed by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. He was working as a first-year hand crew member on the Gold Beach Ranger District, according to the Forest Service.
Sapper was traveling with his work crew when he was killed in a crash near Powers, Oregon, the Forest Service said. The agency did not provide details about the incident.
According to the agency's release, Sapper graduated from Boulder High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado. He was set to study earth sciences at the University of British Columbia this fall.
The 21-year-old joined the Forest Service "out of a desire to serve the community and be part of a great team," the agency said. He was an avid baseball player, chess player and skier.
“This is a devastating loss of one of our own Gold Beach firefighters. We have a tight knit community on the Gold Beach and Powers Ranger Districts, and we stand together in grief and support for his family, friends, and fellow firefighters during this heartbreaking time,” said Gold Beach District Ranger Kailey Guerrant in a statement.
