JACKSONVILLE,Fla. -- Friends of a fallen firefighter who died in a boat crash over the weekend are remembering his life.
Salber died Saturday when the boat he was racing collided into another boat during the Jacksonville Grand Prix of the Sea along the St. Johns River.
“He was pilot, he was a paramedic, he was lieutenant,” friend Greg Fensom said.
He said you could easily write a book about his life, let alone a whole chapter on his personality.
“Infectious smile, tremendous athlete, would do anything for anybody," Fensom said.
“He was the first to show up in the morning to help you set up an event and the last one to leave," Chuck Gleason, another friend said.
Gleason said you’d also find a few chapters highlighting Salber’s ability to barefoot waterski, which earned him a world championship.
“He was part of the gang that helped us create free-style barefooting and coming up with thinking outside the box to just get new people involved in the sport," he said.
While Salber’s story may have a devastating ending, his friends say his life was full of exciting chapters that they will never forget.
“Just an avid sportsman, a true friend, a big-hearted guy who’d do anything for anybody, In my lifetime he’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever met.”