An elderly Missouri man and his wife died in a house fire on Thursday after refusing to flee to safety without her.
The dispatchers told Kenneth Zerr to run away from the home in Latest Melle, which quickly burned within the flames, but selected to remain inside to seek out his wife, Phyllis. the couple’s son told KSDK.
“In a dispatch, my father was told to depart the home, and my father said,” I is not going to leave my wife, “and he stayed along with her. Till the top, ”Andy Zerr said, fighting back tears.
Phyllis fell from her wheelchair to the ground of their master suite. Latest Fire Chief Melle Dan Casey said CBS. When Kenneth couldn’t help her up, he stuffed the towels against the door, attempting to contain the smoke.
Fire officers entered the Tall Cedar Court house to avoid wasting the couple, each 84 years old, and made their technique to the back bedroom, but were blocked from being steam by rapidly rising hell. said the Latest Melle fire department.
The ground began to collapse and conditions worsened, forcing firefighters to flee the constructing, officials said. They began their rescue operation again, fighting the warmth and 0 visibility, and eventually managed to succeed in the Zerra, but by then it was too late.
The couple were found dead in the lavatory.
Hell was so strong it forced the firefighters to withdraw before they might reach the steam.
Kenneth told the dispatchers he would not leave the home without Phyllis.
“It is a tragedy, form of a tragic love story,” Casey said. “He could definitely get out. The family knows he might need gotten out, but he intended to remain along with her.
The couple, who left behind three children and a couple of grandchildren, celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in September. Kenneth celebrated his 84th birthday just two days before the fatal fire.
“Everyone desired to be like them and everybody desired to be with them,” Andy said. “My mom and pa were salt of the earth. They’ll miss them very much. They were a pillar of the community. These were our rocks. They were our foundation. They were our wisdom. “
Officials are still investigating what caused the massive fire, but suspect it was triggered by a tool within the basement.
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