The son of a volunteer who died fighting Australian bushfires has been presented with his father's medal for bravery at his funeral.
Harvey Keaton, aged 19 months, wore a uniform and sucked on his dummy as he received his father's posthumous medal at Thursday's funeral near Sydney.
Dozens of firefighters formed a guard of honour to salute Mr Keaton's coffin.
He and colleague Andrew O'Dwyer died on 19 December en route to a blaze, when their fire truck hit a fallen tree.
Mr O'Dwyer, also father to a toddler, will be buried next week.
The bravery award was presented to young Harvey Keaton by New South Wales Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also attended the funeral.
The prime minister said he was there to "remember and give thanks for the life and service of Geoff Keaton".
Photos released by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service showed the toddler being held by his mother as they look at the coffin. A mug with the message "Daddy, I love you to the moon and back!" is seen on the coffin.
The ceremony was attended by Mr Keaton's family and his colleagues in the rural fire service
Mr Keaton was one of three Australian firefighters killed in the recent fires
In addition to Mr Keaton and Mr O'Dwyer, another firefighter died on Monday when high winds overturned his truck, killing one and injuring two others.
Since September, a total of 18 people have died as a result of the fires - seven of them in New South Wales this week alone. Others are missing.
Thousands of firefighters have been deployed every day for months, battling enormous fires that have yet to be brought under control. The vast majority are unpaid volunteers.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Duct-taped banana artwork sells for $6.2m in NYC
14 mins -
Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander over alleged war crimes
17 mins -
Actors Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good are engaged
23 mins -
Expired rice saga: A ‘best before date’ can be extended – Food and Agriculture Engineer
31 mins -
Why I rejected Range Rover gift from a man – Tiwa Savage
31 mins -
KNUST Engineering College honours Telecel Ghana CEO at Alumni Excellence Awards
1 hour -
Postecoglou backs Bentancur appeal after ‘mistake’
1 hour -
#Manifesto debate: NDC to enact and pass National Climate Law – Prof Klutse
1 hour -
‘Everything a manager could wish for’ – Guardiola signs new deal
2 hours -
TEWU suspends strike after NLC directive, urges swift resolution of grievances
2 hours -
Netflix debuts Grain Media’s explosive film
2 hours -
‘Expired’ rice scandal: FDA is complicit; top officials must be fired – Ablakwa
3 hours -
#TheManifestoDebate: We’ll provide potable water, expand water distribution network – NDC
3 hours -
IPR Ghana@50: Pupils educated to keep the environment clean
3 hours -
PenTrust CEO named ‘Best Pensions CEO’, company wins ‘Scheme Administrator Award’ at Ghana Accountancy & Finance Awards 2024
3 hours