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Loved ones, Collettsville community say final farewell to father, son firefighters

By Dave Faherty, wsoctv.com
By Dave Faherty, wsoctv.com

COLLETTSVILLE, N.C. — It was a somber day in the town of Collettsville as loved ones and the community said goodbye to a father and son, both firefighters, who were killed over the weekend in Chester County.

[PAST COVERAGE: Community mourns loss of father, son, both firefighters]

Chris Gragg, 53, and Cody Gragg, 23, died in a crash Saturday on I-77.

The coroner told Channel 9 the two were on their way to a motocross race in Georgia, when a tire blew on their recreational vehicle, and they ran off the road, went down an embankment and their vehicle caught fire.

A visitation for the father and son was held Tuesday night at Lenoir Community Church, where about 4,000 people attended.

Their funeral was held Wednesday at the Globe Baptist Church. A procession was after the funeral that went through downtown Lenoir and into Collettsville.

The father and son volunteered at the Collettsville Fire and Rescue Department, where the flag was lowered to half-staff in honor of Chris and Cody Gragg. The department also put a picture on their Facebook page showing Chris and Cody Gragg's gear on top of the fire truck.

"It's still hard to believe,” Colletsville Fire Department Assistant Chief Cory Houck said Wednesday. “It's impacted the whole county, but the county has been great. All the emergency services and citizens support has been unreal."

(Collettsville Fire and Rescue Facebook page)

Firefighters said the men were not only volunteer firefighters, they were family.

"I know Chris he gave back to his community,” firefighter Matt Price said. “He was in the fire service for a long time. When I was a kid, I'd go to the firehouse and he was always there. The whole family gave back to the community."

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