Body of Black Mountain firefighter escorted home

Multiple agencies assist in bringing Garrett Presnell to Marion

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 31, 2021

The body of Black Mountain firefighter, Garrett Presnell, arrived in Marion, Aug. 31, hours after he succumbed to COVID-19 in a Winston-Salem hospital.

Members of the Black Mountain Fire Department, where the 28-year-old was a full-time firefighter, were assisted by multiple agencies from throughout the region and state, as they escorted Presnell to Beam Funeral Service & Crematory on Rutherford Road.

A native of McDowell County, Presnell also served part-time with the North Cove, Pleasant Gardens and Old Fort Fire Departments, and was a member of the Buncombe County Urban Search and Rescue Team. He was a volunteer for the Sugar Hill-Montford Cove Fire Department, where he served as a lieutenant, and was the president of the McDowell County Fire & Rescue Association.

Scores of emergency personnel and dozens of vehicles gathered near the funeral home to pay their respects to the fallen firefighter upon his arrival.

A photo gallery of the escort’s arrival in Marion can be seen near the top of this story.