Body of beloved eastern North Carolina firefighter returns home
EDGECOMBE COUNTY (WTVD) -- A mother prepares for her son to return to the Triangle.
Jaywon Lyons, a beloved eastern North Carolina firefighter, died earlier this month after a water incident while on vacation.
"He loved family. He loved to travel. He was just... he was liked by a lot of people," said Roshawnda Daniels.
Daniel's eldest son, 25-year-old Lyons, had the passion to serve others.
He served proudly with Edgecombe County Emergency Management, Legget Volunteer Fire Department, and the Red Oak Community Rural Fire Department.
Daniels told ABC11 that Lyons also helped with wildfires in California and Western North Carolina, helping crews respond to Hurricane Helene.
"He was an adrenaline junkie. He loved it. He lived for this," said Daniels.
On June 6, while Lyons was on vacation with his girlfriend and her family in the Caribbean, his mother received an earth-shattering phone call. Lyons was in the hospital due to a snorkeling incident.
"He had a pulse when he got to the hospital. They said the hospital wasn't equipped to handle the situation. So she called me. I got a job, got his insurance information...We had a flight booked to come pick him up, take him to Miami," said Daniels.
She said Lyons was stable for a while, but things took a turn for the worse, and he did not make it. It's the second tragedy to hit her family; her youngest son, Jaleel, was murdered at 19 years old.
"I just got to looking at it now, is Jaleel left first. Jaywon missed his brother. He couldn't take it no more - they were so close," said Daniels.
She said the brotherhood of firefighters has wrapped their arms around her family, helping to get her son back home and honoring him at the fire station.
Now, Daniels will carry on his legacy and ensure her granddaughters know just how great their father was.
"If nothing else, that he loved them. Even though he's not here, he'll always be watching over them, "said Daniels.
There will be an escort on Thursday to bring him home at 8 am.
The funeral service and viewing will be held on Saturday at Edgecombe Community College.
