Diksmuide (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 53-year-old firefighter Dries Mattelin died after a warehouse accident. Over 120 firefighters honoured him today, Dec 6, 2025, at St. Nicholas Church in Leke, near Diksmuide, Captain Vandenberghe spoke.
As VRT News reported, today, Dec 6, 2025, people gathered at St. Nicholas Church in Leke, near Diksmuide, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, to honour firefighter Dries Mattelin. He was 53 years old and had served as a volunteer firefighter for 33 years. More than 120 firefighters from the Westhoek Fire Department attended the service.
What happened to firefighter Dries Mattelin, and how was he honoured in Diksmuide?
Outside, the funeral procession was a moving tribute to Dries’ life. His coffin was carried on a ladder truck. Firefighters marched in formation behind the truck. During the ceremony, Captain Vandenberghe spoke with emotion.
“Dries, buddy, friend, firefighter. Here we stand, stunned. On the very day of our Barbara celebration, your special day! Everyone is in shock. So surreal, so sad… an immense void within the fire service,”
Captain Vandenberghe said.
The station chief called Dries
“a tough firefighter with a heart of gold.” “You were passionate about your work at the Leke fire department for over 33 years. From the very beginning of the animal rescue team, you were a very active team member there as well. A huge man with a lot of strength.”
“You were always there for everyone. A simple phone call was enough, and Dries was there to help.”
During the funeral service, the Last Post was played both during and after the ceremony. Fellow firefighters formed a guard of honour as his coffin was carried out of St. Nicholas Church. After the service, the fire department returned in procession from the church to the fire station.
Dries’ 4 children contributed a message for the prayer card.
“Our dad. A fighter, just as we were used to from you, until the very end. A worker, behind you lies a life of hard work; on the farm, in the fields, and on rooftops. A bon vivant, who enjoyed the little things, sometimes a little too much. A firefighter, your calling, for which you would go through fire. But above all, our dad, who always went the extra mile and whom we will miss very much.”
A serious accident happened to Firefighter Dries Mattelin on August 6th, 2025, as he fell from the rooftop of a burning warehouse located in Veteren. As a result of his fall, he went into a coma, after which he spent the next several weeks in the hospital battling for his life. 6 weeks after the accident, he regained consciousness but developed complications that caused him to fall back into a worse state of health. Firefighter Dries Mattelin died last weekend.
