Heartbroken wife of a hero firefighter reveals the eerie text his wife sent him before he was killed battling horrific bushfires just before Christmas
- Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, died when his firetruck rolled off road on way to battle fire
- He text his wife Mel O'Dwyer saying they were 'going into hell' moments earlier
- He leaves behind a 19-month-old daughter named Charlotte and wife Mel
The wife of a brave firefighter who died while battling a ferocious bushfire has revealed the eerie final text message he sent to her.
Mel O'Dwyer lost her husband Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, when the firetruck he was traveling in rolled off the road after hitting a fallen tree at Buxton, south of Sydney.
Fellow firefighter Geoffrey Keaton also died during the incident on December 19 last year - just days before Christmas. The pair were part of a four-truck convoy on their way to battle an out-of-control blaze.
Ms O'Dwyer admits she was unaware of how severe the fires were at the time.
'I did read a message on his phone afterwards that he'd actually said that they were going into hell,' she told 60 minutes.
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Andrew O'Dwyer (pictured with his daughter Charlotte and wife Mel) died when his fire truck rolled off the road after hitting a fallen tree at Buxton, south of Sydney a week before Christmas
Andrew O'Dwyer text his wife saying 'We are going into hell' just hours before he died (Mock-up text pictured)
Mr O'Dwyer, who was a volunteer firefighter, wasn't scheduled to work that day, but he rushed to help when the blaze reached dangerous levels.
His final words to his wife were 'I love you'.
Ms O'Dwyer said the family as been left devastated at their loss.
'It still doesn't feel real to me. It's not until I actually really sit down and think he's not coming back – that's hard.'
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The pair were married nearly seven years ago, they have a 19-month-old daughter named Charlotte together.
An experienced volunteer firefighter, Mr O'Dwyer had been a member of the Horsley Park RFS for 18 years. First joining the brigade as a teenager, his team had watched him grow up.
They watched as he was married and welcomed his daughter Charlotte into the world.
Mr O'Dwyer (centre) leaves behind his wife Melissa (left), young daughter Charlotte (right) and two young boys
Andrew O'Dwyer (pictured with his daughter Charlotte) has been remembered as someone he always went above and beyond to help others
During his funeral, Brigade Captain Darren Nation shared how the young father had thrived while working for the RFS.
'The love he had for the fire brigade was as thick as the blood that ran through his veins,' he said.
Mr O'Dwyer will be remembered as someone he always went above and beyond to help others.
'He put his life on the line to help other people in need and ended up losing his life - that's a hero to me,' Ms O'Dwyer said.
Australia's devastating bushfre season has seen 33 people killed with 25 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and five in Victoria..
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