Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Bernard Pestle |
| Agency | Rock Island Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 41 to 45 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 12/6/1964 |
| Cause of Death | Stress/Overexertion |
| Nature of Death | Heart attack |
| Attribute of Death | |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Rock Island |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 12/6/1964 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Fires |
Incident Summary
On December 6, 1964, Firefighter Bernard Leroy Pestle of the Rock Island Fire Department died in the line of duty.
Pestle became ill while fighting a fire at 539 12th St. in Rock Island. He returned to the station and was taken by squad car to St. Anthony’s Hospital. Pestle died in the emergency room about a half hour after arriving. Hospital staff’s attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 4:40 PM. His cause of death was determined to be a heart attack.
Pestle was a member of the Rock Island Fire Department for eight years. He was survived by his widow, son, and stepdaughter.
Funeral services were held at Wheelan Funeral Home and St. Joseph’s Church and Pestle was buried at Rock Island National Cemetery at the Rock Island Arsenal.
Firefighter and Incident Images
