TSA supervisor at DFW Airport dies after contracting COVID-19
A celebrated supervisor of the Transportation Security Administration at DFW International Airport died last week after contracting COVID-19, the agency said.
Clay King, who has worked for TSA since 2002 and was security officer, is the first reported death from COVID-19 among TSA officials at DFW International Airport since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He has been very well received by his team and by those he met,” TSA said in a statement. “King was always positive, loved what he did and was a firm believer in TSA’s mission. He will be missed and will be fondly remembered. We extend our condolences to King’s family, friends and colleagues. “
King was honored in a 2004 speech to Congress for pulling an unconscious man out of a burning vehicle while driving to work, according to a speech by MP Michael Burgess, R-Pilot Point.
“Out of consideration for his own safety, Clay King opened the door and dragged the driver out of the burning wreck,” Burgess said in his speech. “He scorched his right hand during the rescue, because the flames had already reached the inside of the car and the passenger’s trouser legs were burning. Because of the heroic deeds of Clay King, that person is alive today. “
King called at work after the rescue to ask permission to go home and change before returning to his shift. In 2004 he was named TSA Screener of the Year by the DFW.
DFW International Airport has had 365 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020. The agency doesn’t report how many agents are stationed at each airport, but DFW was the second largest airport in the country and a half last year.
Five other airports have reported more confirmed COVID-19 cases with TSA agents than DFW, led by Miami International with 529.
TSA agents, as federal employees, must be vaccinated to comply with a White House order. However, TSA administrator David Pekoske told CNN earlier this month that about 60% of TSA workers have been vaccinated, which is below the 68.9% rate reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a full adult vaccination.
The TSA did not report King’s vaccination status.
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