KALKASKA, MI -- Friday, firefighters from Northern Michigan met to say goodbye to a friend and a brother.

Loren Hazen, a volunteer firefighter with Boardman Township Fire Department, drowned Sunday as he tried to save a friend who was having trouble swimming.

There were a lot of hugs and a lot of emotion as firefighters prepared to give their final farewell to who they say died way too young.

"Anything you gave him to do, he'd do it, it wasn't a problem, anything he could do to help, he would do, it doesn't matter what it was, he'd do it, and he was a great asset to the fire department and a great human being," said Boardman Township Fire Department Chief James Killingsworth.

So many times you hear of a hero -- a man who puts his life on the line -- and on Sunday, Loren Hazen died doing what he's done so many times before; trying to save a friend who was struggling as he swam on Torch Lake. 

"He never questioned anything, he never looked back, he was doing his duty with what he was trained to do, and that's the biggest thing with Loren, he loved the firefighting, the medical, and he was excelling," said fellow firefighter Scott Tinker.

Friends and fellow brothers say Loren loved life, fit in with any crowd, and gave of himself no matter what.  A procession of fire trucks from several area departments slowly traveled through the streets of Kalkaska to Loren’s funeral.

“He made the ultimate sacrifice to save someone else, and that was what Loren was all about," said Killingsworth.

Loren will always be remembered for his character, and Friday, stickers memorialized Loren’s life, a memory they'll have every time an emergency call is dispatched.

7&4 News asked the chief if there has ever been a tragedy like this with the Boardman Township Fire Department before, and he said not with somebody so young.