June 12, 2025
LONDON, Ky. (KT) – A Kentucky firefighter is being hailed as a hero after he lost his life during a devastating tornado, potentially while protecting his wife from the storm’s fury. The tornado tore through southeastern Kentucky on Friday night, leaving 19 people dead in its wake.
Maj. Leslie Leatherman of the Laurel County Fire Department had responded after the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado on the ground near Somerset, issuing warnings for surrounding areas, including Laurel County.
At 11:47 p.m., a fire alarm came in from 582 Sunshine Hills Road. Leatherman, responding from home, radioed on the department’s private channel that he was en route. Within the next two minutes, dispatch received multiple emergency calls: a person trapped at 291 Hart Church Road at 11:48, and a structural collapse at 382 Sunshine Hills Road by 11:49—signs of the tornado’s destructive path through the Sunshine Hills community.
Lieutenant James Spicer reported the tornado on the ground over the radio to Laurel County 911, describing major damage and calling for all local fire departments to respond.
When emergency crews arrived at Sunshine Hills Road, they discovered two individuals lying in a nearby field. A woman, conscious but injured, was calling for help. Lying unresponsive on top of her was a man. First responders removed the man and provided aid to the woman, who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, with his location recorded for the coroner’s arrival.
Between midnight and 12:30 a.m., when radio attempts to contact Maj. Leatherman went unanswered, a search was initiated. Returning to the scene of the earlier fatality, Lt. Spicer and Deputy Chief Jared Kennedy confirmed the deceased man’s identity: it was Maj. Leslie Leatherman.
It appears Leatherman was responding to the fire call when the tornado hit. During the chaos, he encountered an injured woman and used his own body to shield her from further harm. Tragically, he was fatally injured. That woman was later identified as his wife, Michelle Leatherman. She remains in critical condition. It is unknown whether Maj. Leatherman recognized her amid the darkness, chaos, and noise of the storm.
"The tornado hit where he lived. It destroyed his house. He was responding to his own emergency. When they located him. He was with his wife. And unfortunately, he gave his life saving someone else," Deputy Chief Terry Wattenbarger told LEX18 news. "His whole life he served the public and their needs, consistently, dependably, and with all his heart."
Flags at the Laurel County Fire Department are flying at half-staff in memory of Leatherman, who began as a volunteer at the department over 30 years ago.
Funeral arrangements are still being finalized. The department asks the public to keep the Leatherman family in their thoughts and prayers during this time of immense grief.
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This story appeared in Kentucky Today.
