Omiš Bids Farewell to Its Hero, Firefighter Drago Lelas
Translated from Croatian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Drago Lelas, a longtime firefighter and former commander, died after spending two weeks in a Split hospital with severe injuries from a fire near Omiš.
- Colleagues and residents remembered him as a mentor, community leader and dedicated humanitarian who gave blood 100 times.
Omiš said farewell to Drago Lelas, a veteran firefighter who died after suffering severe injuries in a major fire in the Omiš area. His funeral at Vrisovci cemetery brought together relatives, friends, firefighters and many local residents.
He was always there to help, our Drago. A good man.
Lelas spent his working life in the fire service. He served as commander of the Omiš volunteer fire department and helped found the volunteer departments in Kučiće and Gata. He died after two weeks of treatment at a hospital in Split, having been injured while trying to protect his home in the village of Dubrave.
He was the leader of this village. I will remember him for our meals, his humor and his loud voice. You could always hear him in the village. He will be greatly missed.
Colleagues described him as a mentor and role model, with some saying he was like a second father to the firefighters he trained. Ante Tomasović, commander of the Kučiće department and a friend, remembered Lelas as a good man who was always ready to help. Residents also recalled his humor, loud voice and presence in village life.
He gave so much to the firefighters, blood donors and everything he took on. Everyone would like to live as he did and follow the path he took.
His work extended beyond firefighting. Lelas took part in humanitarian activities and was known for helping people in need. He received several honors, including a Red Cross award for donating blood 100 times and the City of Omiš Lifetime Achievement Award.
He really was first-class when it came to helping the poor and doing things for others.
About this summary
Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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