Firefighters formed a guard of honour to farewell volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer who’s been remembered as a proud NSW Rural Fire Service member whose greatest achievement was his young daughter.
Mr O’Dwyer, 36, died in December when his fire truck rolled while battling the large Green Wattle Creek blaze near the town of Buxton.
News.Com.Au, reports that a requiem mass was held on Tuesday for the fallen firefighter at Our Lady of Victories in Horsley Park, the suburb where his RFS brigade is based. Hundreds of family, friends and RFS members filled the church as tributes flowed for the young father.
Errol O’Dwyer said farewelling his son was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
O’Dwyer (Snr) described his son as a free spirit who lived in the present and whose greatest achievement was his daughter.
epa08109165 Family members attend the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109162 Maori mourners perform a Haka during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109159 Colleagues carry the casket during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109157 Charlotte O’Dwyer, daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, stands next to the casket during the funeral for her father, New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109158 Charlotte O’Dwyer, daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, stands next to the casket during the funeral for her father, New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109156 Charlotte O’Dwyer, daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, stands next to the casket during the funeral for her father, New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109149 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (R) hugs Horsley Park RFS captain Darren Nation (L) during the funeral for late New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109243 A hearse drives past a honor guard during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109146 Charlotte O’Dwyer, daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, plays under the casket during the funeral for her father, New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109244 Rural Fire Service volunteers form an honor guard during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109144 Charlotte O’Dwyer, daughter of late New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, wears her father’s helmet during a funeral, at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109241 Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (L) talks to Charlotte O’Dwyer (C), daughter of New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, during her father’s funeral at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109231 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C-L) attends the funeral New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109233 People attend the funeral New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
O’Dyer leaves behind his wife Melissa and young daughter Charlotte.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, state Emergency Services Minister David Elliott and federal Labor MP Chris Bowen were among the mourners.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons choked up as he addressed Mr O’Dwyer’s daughter Charlotte.
epa08109083 Charlotte O’Dwyer (C), daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, receives her fathers service medal by Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (L), during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/MICK TSIKAS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109080 Charlotte O’Dwyer (C), daughter of late Rural Fire Service volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer, receives her father’s helmet by Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons (L), during the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/MICK TSIKAS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
epa08109136 Family members and colleagues attend the funeral for New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteer Andrew O’Dwyer at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Horsley Park, Sydney, Australia, 07 January 2020. Horsley Park brigade volunteer firefighters Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on 19 December 2019 when their truck overturned after a tree fell into their path as they were battling to contain a bushfire near the town of Buxton. EPA-EFE/DEAN LEWINS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT
Charlotte should know her father was a selfless and special man, who only left because he was a hero, the commissioner told the congregation.
Wearing a white dress with her hair in pigtails, the toddler at one stage touched her father’s casket before she wandered up to the pulpit during the service.
Via News.Com.Au / 7 News
