Jan Tchoryk, a Chicago Fire Department lieutenant, died of a heart attack while responding to a high-rise fire in the Gold Coast. He was remembered by his family as an avid motorcyclist who was always smiling and brought joy to everyone he met. Tchoryk was one of two Chicago firefighters killed in the line of duty this week. The Chicago Fire Department's EMWQ Retirees', Widows' & Children's Fund is supporting the families of the fallen firefighters.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that 55-year-old Jan Tchoryk, the Chicago fire lieutenant who passed away on Wednesday morning, died from natural causes due to hypertensive-arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Tchoryk was making his way up the stairs to the 27th floor when he went down at the 11th floor. He was rushed by colleagues to the lobby where life-saving measures were performed. He died as a result of his injuries. The cause of the fire was ultimately determined to be accidental due to “combustibles being too close to a heat generating appliance.”
A high-rise fire in Chicago's Gold Coast area left one firefighter dead and three others injured. The fire broke out on the 27th floor of the building, and the elevators stopped working at some point. The deceased firefighter was identified as Jan Tchoryk, who had been on the job since 1997 and was a Navy veteran of Desert Storm. The incident comes one day after a firefighter died in the line of duty in the West Pullman neighborhood.
