February 05, 2026
Daniella Heminghaus/Imagen Images
A Camden firefighter died after falling through ice into the Delaware River on Thursday morning. The man's death remains under investigation. Above, the partially frozen river is shown in Bucks County on Jan. 21.
A member of the Camden City Fire Department died Thursday morning after falling through the icy surface of the Delaware River at Wiggins Waterfront Park, officials said.
The firefighter, who has not been identified, fell into the water at the marina around 11 a.m., Fire Chief Jesse Flax said at a news conference. He and other firefighters were conducting a routine maintenance check on the department's fire boat, which is used to fight flames from off the shoreline.
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"There was a split-second reaction from the neighboring departments, the city of Philadelphia, our personnel on scene," Flax said.
The fire department is still investigating how the firefighter fell into the water. Flax said the man was submerged under the ice for nearly 30 minutes during the rescue effort before he was pulled from the water. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he died.
"The city of Camden's prayers are with the family because he wasn't just a public servant, he was a husband, a brother, a father that committed his adult life to serving and protecting and being there for our residents in the city," Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen said.
Flax said the cause of the death remains under investigation. The department usually sends four firefighters to the boat at the marina for inspections.
"They have all the tools, equipment, gear that's necessary," Flax said. "There's a lot of things under investigation."
The Delaware River and other waterways have been partially frozen for weeks. Conditions worsened after a major snowstorm hit the region in late January. Temperatures since then have been below freezing nearly every day with night time lows in the single digits.
Philadelphia police have warned residents that it is illegal and unsafe to walk or skate on frozen rivers and streams, noting that surfaces are unstable due to the moving water below.
The National Weather Service said the region's prolonged cold snap will keep bodies of water frozen until temperatures climb into the 40s for several days.
The NWS forecast in Philadelphia calls for another frigid stretch of days ahead. An extreme cold watch will be in effect from Saturday at 3 p.m. until Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Camden's Office of Emergency Management issued a code blue advisory that extends from Wednesday until Monday morning.
"This is a very difficult time for all of us," Flax said. "I do not have enough words that I can even say that could tell you how this is hurting all of us."
