Medical examiners issue cause of death for Gig Harbor firefighter who died unexpectedly

Nearly two months after a member of Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One died unexpectedly at home, officials on Wednesday said her death was the result of accidental acute drug intoxication.

Eliza Hoover, 47, of Gig Harbor, died July 25 of acute fentanyl, cocaine, alprazolam and diazepam intoxication, according to a news release from the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office.

In August, the fire department said post-traumatic stress injury contributed to Hoover’s death.

The fire department responded to Hoover’s home at the time of the incident, and she was not transported to the hospital.

The department later organized a procession for Hoover to take her to her final resting place in Gig Harbor. She was the first female firefighter in the district.

This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 3:22 PM.

Peter Talbot

The News Tribune

Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription