Mantoloking fire chief suffers heart attack at multi-alarm fire

Mantoloking's fire chief suffered a heart attack during a multi-alarm blaze on Saturday night, authorities said.

Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy said Larry Gilman collapsed as firefighters battled the flames in a fully-engulfed two-story home on Channel Drive. Gilman was hospitalized and was in stable condition on Sunday morning, according to Mastronardy.

Mantoloking Police Chief Stacy Ferris said that Gilman is "antsy to get out of the hospital" and joked that "we sent a couple people to sit on him" at Ocean Medical Center in Brick where he is hospitalized in the intensive care unit. On a more serious note, Ferris said that Gilman, who also works for the Mantoloking public works department, is a man of integrity "who always puts everybody else in front of him."

His family was with him on Satuday night and will see him again on Sunday.

Flames broke around 6:15 p.m. according to the Mantoloking Fire Company, and the roof partially collapsed an hour later. Several surrounding fire companies including Point Pleasant Beach and Borough, Bay Head, Brick, Mantoloking and South Wall helped Mantoloking at the fire. Firefighters also used fire boats to extinguish the blaze.

A firefighter from Bay Head was also injured in the fire, authorities said.

Several fire companies fire tweeted  well-wishes for Gilman.