"Given some more experience, would have been on the front lines of a war zone," said supervisor Rick Stanton. All expressed sadness at the premature end of an ambitious career that, given just a little more time, could have extended beyond coverage of community potlucks, high school drama clubs and nursing home dances.
Posthumous accolades from other networks began pouring in as tragic news of the TV reporter's death became public. it just won't be the same around here without him." "We'll miss him the most when the first bluebird of spring 2009 is sighted, or when the division III cheerleading finals are happening. "He embodied the finest qualities of modern journalism - i.e., making up stories when there are none to be found," said Payne.
Other moving testaments to Cruise's short life came from the WGN studio staff, including news anchor Allison Payne. "I'll always regret taking that five minute break in the van while Damien was out there in the shit," lamented Garcia. Garcia and other members of the crew struggled to hold back tears as they recounted the moment that Cruise expired while standing erect and in mid-sentence as he nearly finished reporting the air temperature, wind chill and other atmospheric factors. I suppose his philosophy was, 'If I'm not out here in the streets telling the people how cold it is, then who will?'" "Though we'll miss him, he'll always have our respect for bringing the kind of hard-hitting news that the people need to see. "There was nothing we could do to get him to leave, nothing," said technician Miguel Garcia. "B-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r! Ooh, boy, it sure is c-c-c-c-cold out here! Back to you, Allison," were some of the harrowing last words of eager, young TV reporter Damien Cruise, 25, of WGN Chicago during his brave and final report from the cold front currently moving through the upper Midwest.Īlways dedicated to bringing what he called "in-your-face" local news into viewers' homes, the TV reporter died of exposure, despite the urging of his camera crew to flee the scene. TV Reporter Dies from Exposure to Cold in ExposÉ of Cold Front