East Pierce Fire captain dies in dirt bike crash

An East Pierce Fire & Rescue captain died Saturday after an off-duty dirt bike crash at his property near Bonney Lake, the department announced in a news release.

East Pierce Fire responded to the crash in the 8000 block of 240th Avenue East between Bonney Lake and Buckley and took Capt. Tim McCoy to a Tacoma hospital, where he later died.

McCoy, 59, had worked for Bonney Lake Fire Department and East Pierce Fire for 29 years and was planning to retire in June, the release said.

“I think he was cut out to be a firefighter because he was so calm and caring,” Anna McCoy, his wife of 30 years, said in the release. “Tim was definitely passionate in everything he did. He didn’t just want to be a firefighter — he wanted to be a great firefighter. He felt that it was such a privilege.”

Tim McCoy, who began riding dirt bikes as a kid, held a professional motocross license and raced competitively.

He was an elder at Bonney Lake Community Church for more than a decade, and son Joshua said he planned to become a chaplain for East Pierce Fire during his retirement.

In 1995, McCoy was honored by Bonney Lake Fire Department for bursting into a burning home in which two children were trapped, and rescuing one, who died on his way to the hospital, according to The News Tribune archives.

“Capt. McCoy had been an integral member of this department for many years,” East Pierce Fire Chief Bud Backer said in the release. “His loss touches each and every one of us. He will be sorely missed.”

McCoy is survived by his wife Anna; son Joshua and daughter-in-law Charis; daughters Emily and Alise; his mother, Frances Pickering; brothers Steve and Kevin McCoy; and sister Diane Stracener.

This story was originally published October 23, 2016 at 6:17 PM with the headline "East Pierce Fire captain dies in dirt bike crash."