Mexican Firefighter Who Helped at Ground Zero Dies

A Mexican firefighter who helped Hispanic immigrants who fell ill after cleaning buildings at ground zero was remembered Thursday for his work in getting them medical and economic help.

"We have lost a leader," Rosa Duque, a Guatemalan immigrant who suffers from respiratory and stomach problems, said at his wake in Corona.

Rafael Hernandez was found dead Sunday in his Queens home. The medical examiner will determine his cause of death.

The 49-year-old Hernandez had been working at an electronics shop near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. He told The Associated Press in a recent interview that he rushed to the site and volunteered there for three months. He was later diagnosed with chronic respiratory conditions linked to exposure to ground zero.

In the years since, Hernandez emerged as an advocate for immigrants who were sickened after working at the trade center site. He led a biweekly support group called Frontiers of Hope where the workers discussed their illnesses. They also sought to cope with the long-term psychological effects of their time near the disaster site.

At his wake Thursday afternoon, many of Hernandez's friends from the support group gave emotional speeches and paying tribute in song. They recalled how he would accompany them to medical appointments or translate for them in court when needed.

Over the summer, Hernandez had intensified his efforts to urge workers to apply to the newly reopened Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which will start accepting applications next week.

Social worker Rosa Bramble-Weed, who ran the support group with Hernandez, said she and the cleaners had resolved to continue his work.

Colombian immigrant Maria del Rosario Prada sang at the wake. Before working near ground zero, she had been a soprano, but she said the dust had taken a toll on her vocal cords.

"He told me: 'Sing for me when I go,'" she said. "And that's what I'm going to do."