County firefighters lose a good friend

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 10:40 a.m.

Last summer Clark County firefighters Stephen Kingry and Steve La-Sky planned to go to the first-ever bull run in Mesquite to test their courage against the charging beasts.

At the last minute Kingry decided against running ahead of the half-ton animals, leaving La-Sky to go it alone. Kingry's wife, Darci, had asked her husband to reconsider because she feared he might have been seriously injured.

Stephen Kingry, who had been a local firefighter paramedic for three years, was killed Sunday night in a head-on automobile collision on U.S. 93 in Arizona. He was returning home from a boating trip in the Phoenix area with friend and fellow county fire paramedic Tien Nguyen. Kingry was 31.

Kingry and the driver of the other vehicle were killed instantly, said La-Sky, the fire department spokesman who was assigned the grim task of telling the news media the details of his friend's death.

Nguyen (pronounced "win") suffered facial fractures and a shoulder injury and was taken to an Arizona hospital following the 7:45 p.m. accident. He was upgraded from critical to serious but stable on Tuesday.

La-Sky said Nguyen, 29, is expected to fully recover, though it will be a long recovery process because of the extent of his injuries.

La-Sky quoted accident investigators as saying the van that struck Kingry's vehicle was making an illegal pass on a blind curve at a high rate of speed when it went into Kingry's path. He had no chance to avoid the collision, La-Sky said. There were no passengers in the van.

"Stephen was a well-liked guy, a terrific teacher and a dedicated paramedic," La-Sky said. "Everyone (in the department) is devastated by what happened.

"And anyone who has the moxie to even consider running with the bulls is a person I am proud to call my friend."

Fire stations around the valley were flying flags at half-mast today and will continue to do so until services are held. They are pending but are tentatively set for Saturday.

Firefighters also have shrouded their badges with black tape to mourn the loss of their comrade.

The death was the third involving an active Clark County firefighter in eight months -- the first time that has happened in the 40-plus-year history of the department. However, none of them died fighting fires.

Kingry's name will join 29 others on a plaque at the main fire station on East Flamingo Road, which honors firefighters who were killed in the line of duty or died while on active duty.

Among the names on that memorial are former Bonanza High School and UNLV track star Sheila Tarr Smith, who died of a neuromuscular disease last August, and Darnell Brown, who died of cancer last month.

All three firefighters were in their 30s.

Kingry, who ordinarily works out of Station No. 16, and Nguyen were on temporary assignment teaching paramedic classes to firefighter trainees at the main station.

After their final class Friday, Kingry and Nguyen left for Arizona to enjoy a weekend boating trip, La-Sky said, noting that Kingry was an avid lake-boarder and snow-skier.

Born July 23, 1967, in Camp Pendleton, Calif., Kingry was one of four children of Steven and Raquel Rafter, who survive him and reside in Saugus, Calif. Stephen was raised and educated in California and moved to Las Vegas 3 1/2 years ago.

Kingry and Nguyen joined the department at the same time and became good friends while both were in rookie firefighter training school.

As a paramedic, Kingry served aboard the Air Life 7 helicopter. He also was an Emergency Medical Services instructor at Community College of Southern Nevada.

In addition to his wife and parents, Kingry is survived by two brothers, Sean Kingry of Parker, Colo., and Patrick Rafter of Las Vegas; and a sister, Cinnamon Kerschner, of Redding, Calif.