A lawsuit has been filed against the state by the parents of the Watertown firefighter who died almost two years ago at the New York State Fire Academy in Montour Falls.
According to the lawsuit filed in late January, Peyton Morse’s mom and dad claim the state caused the death of their 21-year-old son by failing to properly respond to his medical emergency. Morse passed away on March 3rd of 2021 at Robert Packer Hospital, nine days after suffering an unknown type of medical emergency while participating in a firefighter training program.
WETM television in Elmira reports the lawsuit indicated Morse was training to crawl through a wooden box meant to represent a confined space when he started to experience breathing problems. Last November, the Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office determined through its investigation there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges in the case.
The lawsuit did not list how much money David Morse and Stacy-Snyder Morse are seeking but did list several state employees and academy instructors who were present at the time of Peyton’s death, claiming they were aware of his breathing complaints but compelled him to continue.
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