NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: Levi Wilkins, a beloved firefighter, father, and cancer survivor, recently died in a climbing accident in Oklahoma.
Wilkins, who was described as an "incredible" and adventurous person, leaves behind his wife and three children, according to People.
How did Levi Wilkins die?
The tragic incident unfolded on Friday, September 22, 2023, when authorities received an alert that at least one climber was in distress and "had suffered a fall near the Narrows Trail" at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, according to a statement issued by the refuge.
The rescue crew responded to the scene and ultimately rescued two hikers. According to the refuge, one of the hikers "appeared to have suffered a medical emergency."
However, Wilkins, who was the other hiker, had a fatal fall. He was later identified by his loved ones.
Levi Wilkins' wife Emily pays emotional tribute
Confirming Wilkins' death, his wife Emily took to Facebook to share an emotional tribute on Saturday, September 23.
"There’s no easy or graceful way to say this. @leviswilkins died in a rock-climbing accident yesterday. He was the most incredible husband, father, son, brother & friend," Emily wrote.
"Having been together since we were 16 I don’t know how to do life without him and I never wanted to learn. After beating cancer he lived big," she added.
"He believed every day was a gift, and it brings great comfort to know how happy he was doing what he loved when his time came," Emily said of Wilkins' who battled stage 4 cancer in 2019.
"I’m not sure how we will face the future without him, but we will do our best to carry on his legacy of wonder and adventure," she concluded the post.
Paying tribute to the late cancer survivor, the Norman Fire Department where he served as a firefighter issued a statement on Facebook.
"It’s difficult to express just how hard it hit when we learned of Levi’s passing yesterday," the department wrote in their post, adding, "He lived life to the fullest every day and everyone who knew him, loved him."
According to ABC affiliate KOCO-TV, Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila remembered meeting Wilkins during his battle with cancer and described him as a determined person.
"He had that pugnacious kind of style that it’s just, 'I’m going to whip this, and this is going to be good, and we’re going to get through this just fine,'" Heikkila recalled.
