By STEPHANIE BEECKEN
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - A man who spent more than 30 years volunteering to save the lives of East Tennesseans was laid to rest Friday.
Long time community leader and Blount County Rescue Squad Assistant Chief John Yu, 56, passed away Saturday at his home.
Hundreds attended the service and say the ceremony was fitting for the hero. A mile-long stretch of emergency vehicles from across East Tennessee led the procession. Yu was brought to his final resting place in a boat.
"I think Assistant Chief Yu has touched thousands of lives, not only on the side of the rescuer but the ones being rescued," said Tim Ogle, captain of the Blount County Fire Protection District.
Ogle helped present the colors during the burial and knew Yu for more than 20 years. "It's going to be a great loss. It's already a great loss for everyone," he said.
Yu served with the Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad from 1983 until he joined the Blount County Rescue Squad in 2006. He served as assistant chief there since 2010.
Darrell Wheat with the Knox County Sheriff's Office says Yu was a mentor to him. "He would help people. He would explain things to people. He would not pass you by. He would sit there and talk to you and show you what was going on," he said.
Those who worked alongside Yu say he saved dozens of lives, and many came to the burial to pay tribute to the man and his deeds.
Wheat says Yu will always be remembered "as a mentor to many people and an instructor, a person of well known kindness to anybody he'd come across."
Yu also volunteered with the American Red Cross.
John Yu (source: Blount County Rescue Squad )
The funeral was held at All Saints Catholic Church.
Hundreds attended the service and say the ceremony was fitting for the hero.
