SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Hundreds gathered outside Fire Station 21 in Pacific Beach Tuesday evening to remember a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department firefighter killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend.
Ryan Ferrara, 39, was riding on the back of the motorcycle as a passenger when it crashed into a parked vehicle. It happened July 18 at the 13000 block of Piping Rock Lane in the Lakeside area.
The driver of the motorcycle was hospitalized; he has not yet been identified. Authorities say neither the driver nor Ferrara were wearing helmets.
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The crash is still under investigation, but the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office says alcohol or drugs may have been factors in the crash.
Many who knew Ferrara were visibly distraught during Tuesday's remembrance ceremony. At sunset, the crowds moved to the boardwalk and sands. Many firefighters were there to show the family their support.
Capt. Rich Marcello, who worked with Ferrara, says it's a Fire Station 21 tradition to go down to the beach and watch the sunset after every shift when possible.
"Every evening, we come out and watch the sunset and gather round each other and kind of hang out with each other, which is why we're here with the family today," he said.
Before he was a firefighter, Ferrara was a lifeguard. In his free time, he loved to surf, according to those who knew him.
"Everybody loved him, great Personality. He's just the whole package," Marcello said.
