CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - John DeLuca, a former deputy with the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, tragically died during a hunting trip in Alaska.

DeLuca, 67, was hunting mountain goats with his son on October 1st when they both slipped off a cliff, falling nearly 200 feet. DeLuca's son, Dave, performed CPR on his father for three hours until a rescue helicopter arrived, but DeLuca succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

Sheriff Cocchi described DeLuca as compassionate, committed, and intelligent, calling him a pillar of the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. "John DeLuca was a great man, he impacted a lot of people," said Sheriff Nick Cocchi of Hampden County.

VIDEO: Watch the full interview with Sheriff Nick Cocchi

In a career like law enforcement, which Cocchi says can be ter

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