Clay County

Friends remember 49-year-old Clay County Sergeant who died of COVID-19 complications

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — Clay County Sergeant Eric Twisdale passed away Thursday, after battling COVID-19.

The 49-year-old could be described by friends as compassionate, kind, and humble.

“You just wanted to be like him. You just wanted to be like Eric,” Ray Barnett said. The two have known each other for the last five years, but Barnett said it’s felt much longer. “He just made you feel good and you wanted to do better.”

READ: Clay County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant dies from COVID-19

Sgt. Twisdale worked in the line of duty for more than two decades. Throughout his career, he received several awards including the Lifesaving Award in 2014 for saving a person from drowning. He also received 2015 Deputy of the Year for helping stop two murder suspects during a high-speed chase through several counties.

“He’s kind of humble about what he did on the job,” Barnett said. He added that he always found out about Sgt. Twisdale’s accomplishments through others.

PHOTOS: Sergeant Eric Twisdale who passed away from COVID-19 complications

Barnett said he was shocked when he learned about Twisdale’s death on Thursday afternoon.

“Never complained. Never said anything about his sickness, and he was sick for a while,” Barnett said. “They [deputies] came yesterday, and they told me that he had been in the hospital, very sick, and that he would probably not make it through the day.”

Barnett said it’s a huge loss for the Clay community, and that every officer should aspire to be more like Eric Twisdale.

“He was an unbelievable human being and saw the world unbiased,” Barnett said.