By Eric Conklin
nj.com
CAMDEN, N.J. — Hundreds of first responders and numerous elected officials gathered in Camden on Wednesday to honor a city firefighter who drowned last week in the icy waters of the Delaware River.
Howard Bennett, 60, of Maple Shade, died last Thursday after falling through ice at the Wiggins Park Marina on the Camden Waterfront. Bennett, a 26-year veteran of the Camden Fire Department, died while working on a department vessel.
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In a roughly hour-long memorial at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Bennett was hailed for his mentorship to fellow firefighters and his children. His family urged everyone attending to incorporate Bennett’s values in their lives.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who attended Wednesday’s memorial, said though she never met Bennett, she learned that he was a sharp-minded handyman whose commitment to 24-hour work shifts reflects the dedication of firefighters statewide.
In eulogizing Bennett, Sherrill remembered him as a carpenter who took up firefighting in his 30s. She gestured toward some of his belongings laid out on a table to reflect on his life.
“I see that tape measure, and I see those sharpies and those pencils, and I know he was a guy that measured twice and cut once,” Sherrill said. “He was a guy you could look up to. He was a guy that would take the time out of his busy schedule to make sure you were doing okay.”
Sherrill ordered flags across New Jersey to be lowered to half‑staff in Bennett’s honor on Wednesday. In Camden, Mayor Victor Carstarphen issued the same directive.
Bennett was assigned to Fire Boat 1, a department watercraft moored at the marina’s circular basin.
Around 11 a.m. in what would be his last shift, Bennett and several colleagues were performing maintenance work on the vessel when he fell into the freezing river, city officials have said. Camden Fire Chief Jesse Flax said officials initially estimated Bennett was submerged for about 30 minutes before he was rescued.
After Bennett was pulled from the water, first responders performed lifesaving measures before he was transported to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After his death last week, firefighters from across the region gathered outside the hospital and formed a procession as a bagpiper played.
On Wednesday, Flax thanked firefighters nationwide for their support, vowing to do the same for his staff members as they remain on duty.
Carstarphen posthumously promoted Bennett to captain, a rank he had been set to receive before his death.
“Howard was very mild-mannered, very intelligent,” Flax said. “He had a knack for fixing things you thought was broken beyond repair.”
Respect for Bennett was felt deep within the fire department’s ranks, prompting current and retired firefighters to attend Wednesday’s memorial, Flax said.
“Every last one of us called on him to figure out, ‘How do you repair this? Can you fix this? Should we throw it away?’” Flax said. “That’s who he was.”
Fran Bennett, Howard Bennett’s wife, remembered his attentiveness to his children, David and Jenna. She said he passed along many of the life skills he acquired through years of carpentry and firefighting. Particularly, he loved Fire Boat 1, piloting it when his crew was summoned to emergencies in the river, she said.
“He was my best friend and the best husband,” Fran Bennett said through tears. “He was always, for me, my safety net.”
Born in Wisconsin, Bennett lived most of his life in Maple Shade, with his father as his strongest mentor, Fran Bennett said. He was one of eight siblings, living a typical boyhood life that included BB guns and being a star athlete for his high school football and wrestling teams. That call to teamwork influenced him to become a firefighter, she said.
“The day he was sworn in as a firefighter was his proudest moment,” Fran Bennett added. “He was so happy to be part of the brotherhood that is here today.”
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office has ruled his death accidental.
The New Jersey Department of Labor is investigating whether the on-duty death could have been prevented and whether new safety measures might avert similar tragedies. The state Division of Fire Safety, part of the Department of Community Affairs, is also conducting its own review.
Neither the county prosecutor’s office nor city officials have released additional details.
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