A 66-year-old paramedic from Colorado died from COVID-19 after traveling to New York City to work on the front lines of the pandemic

• Paul Cary, from Aurora, Colorado, died from COVID-19 on Thursday, about a week after testing positive for the virus.
• The 66-year-old had traveled to New York City to volunteer for Ambulnz, an ambulance service provider, to work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and transport COVID-19 patients.
• Cary spent more than 30 years working as a firefighter and paramedic for Aurora's fire department before joining Ambulnz.
• Cary was the first FEMA-deployed volunteer responder to COVID-19 in New York to die from the virus.
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A 66-year-old paramedic from Colorado traveled to New York to volunteer on the front lines of COVID-19 — then he died from the virus.

Paul Cary, from Aurora, Colorado, died from COVID-19 on Thursday, about a week after testing positive for the virus. He had traveled to New York to volunteer for Ambulnz, an ambulance service provider, where he transported COVID-19 patients, KDVR reported.

In a statement to CBS Denver, Cary's family said they were "devastated" by his death.

"Accepting Paul's commitment to serving others in need, we respected his choice to volunteer to be part of Ambulnz's response team to the COVID-19 crisis in New York City," the family said. "He risked his own health and safety to protect others and left this world a better place. We are at peace knowing that Paul did what he loved and what he believed in, right up until the very end."

According to ABC 7 New York, Cary was the first FEMA-deployed volunteer responder to COVID-19 in New York to die from the virus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio gave a tribute to Cary in his daily COVID-19 press conference.

"We have lost someone who came to our aid, to our defense and there's something particularly painful when someone does the right thing; a fellow American comes from across the country to try and help the people in New York City and while working to save lives here, gives his own life," de Blasio said, according to ABC 7. "It's very painful. It's heroic. It's something we honor, but it's very, very painful that we've lost this good man. Paramedic Paul Cary from Aurora, Colorado, part of the FEMA relief effort has died of the coronavirus. For three decades he served the people of Aurora and then came very bravely to serve us — he did not have to do it — he made the choice to come here to save lives."

Cary spent more than 30 years working as a firefighter and paramedic for Aurora's fire department before joining Ambulnz.

He is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.