In just a couple of days, an online fundraising page for the family of Maine Fire Captain David Mains has collected more than $30,000. Friends say it speaks to the kind of person Mains was, and the impact he had on his community of Raymond.
"If we had more people like David, the world would be a better place completely," said Mains' friend Mike Doze.
Mains died Monday in a motorcycle crash on Interstate 495 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
His wife, Jen, was also on the bike. She remains at Tufts Medical Center with serious injuries.
The fundraising page will help the Mains family pay for funeral and medical expenses, as well as support Mains’ four children.
"He touched all of us," said Doze, who was a member of the Fire & Iron motorcycle club with Mains. The motorcycle club had traveled to West Virginia for a national rally. On their way back home, Mains rear-ended a car that had suddenly stopped due to traffic. Massachusetts State Police say the crash is still under investigation.
"It's hard to process," said Raymond Fire Chief Bruce Tupper.
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He said Mains was killed on what would have been his 10 year anniversary with the Raymond Fire Department. Mains was a captain and fire inspector, who won several awards, including Fire Fighter of the Year and the Chief’s Award.
"He was a phenomenal guy," said Chief Tupper. "They say the shoes will be hard to fill. I say the shoes will never be filled."
Members of the Fire & Iron club plan to escort Mains body from Massachusetts to Maine when it is released sometime later this week. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
