Firefighters from around the region paid respect to one of their own last week, Jaffrey firefighter Cara Campbell, who died of an accidental drug overdose on May 19.
“It was a loss that no one anticipated. A young firefighter who had a purpose down here and this fire department was a big part of her life,” Jaffrey Fire Chief David Chamberlain said Wednesday.
Calling hours for Campbell were held at the Jaffrey Bible Church Friday evening followed by her funeral service at the church on Sunday. About 100 area firefighters participated in a group walk-through of calling hours at its conclusion.
“It was a very nice showing of support of the community and fire departments of the area that came out to honor her and there was a firefighter walk-through at the end of the calling hours Friday night,” Chamberlain said.
Campbell had been a firefighter and EMT with the Jaffrey Fire Department since 2017. She was an active member until her death.
In the two and a half years Campbell was a firefighter in Jaffrey she had made good friends in the department, Chamberlain said.
She died on May 19 at Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, “surrounded by family, friends, and firefighters, lifting her up in the Lord’s Prayer as she was called home,” her obituary said.
She was born in Peterborough and graduated from Conant High School, class of 2007.
“Cara will always be remembered as a big, bold, beautiful, and independent spirit. She was an organ donor; her strong and loving heart was passed on to a lucky recipient,” her obituary said. “Cara died from an accidental overdose. We think that Cara, given her brave and compassionate heart, would want these circumstances to be known, to provide a warning so that others can safeguard themselves against situations like the one that stole Cara from us. Please take care of yourselves and each other – that’s what Cara would want.”
Chamberlain said what Campbell overdosed on is still unknown.
“At this time there are a lot of unanswered questions,” Chamberlain said. “It was some type of accidental overdose. … I would just ask people not to speculate.”
The Medical Examiner’s office is expected to release the eventual autopsy results to the family and then it would be up to the family to make the results public if they decide to.
“The family wanted to get it out that it was some type of accidental overdose. It is a tragedy for them. It was a tragedy for the community cause she knew a lot of people,” Chamberlain said. “Can we learn from this tragedy? Can we help at least one person not be in this situation? I think that’s what the family would want and that is what Cara would want us to do.”
Jaffrey police have an open investigation into the death. As with any untimely death, police investigate to determine what happened, Chamberlain said.
The only people who know what happened that night is Campbell and the other people in the apartment with her, he said.