Neighbor Makes Courageous Attempt To Save Two Men From Burning Home
By: Gina Benitez
Updated: March 29, 2012
Two Abilene residents trapped inside a burning home on the 3700 block of Fortune overnight are now fighting to recover.
The man and his son were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
"I didn't wanna let go..." says Jami Paxton, who witnessed the mobile home erupt into flames late last night.
Paxton is emotionally unable to process what has happened. Last night, the home across the street from hers caught fire with her two neighbors inside.
Lieutenant Greg Goettsch, of the Abilene Fire Department says, "Our units arrived to find a heavily involved mobile home with numerous additions on it that were very heavily involved in fire. It was a very intense fire."
A loud pop and then a fiery glow is how the two describe the scene. After calling for help, Paxton and her next-door neighbor, ran to do what they could.
"And then I could see him. So I tried to climb through the window and I got a hold of him and I pulled on him and I grabbed him by his torso but I couldn't lift him," says Paxton.
Firefighters arrived soon after and searched the home.
"We were unable to find anyone on the first search," says Lieutenant Goettsch.
On the second search, officials were able to locate two men, who neighbors say are father and son.
"My cousin and her, my sister and me, we did everything we could," says Pexton.
Up until the very last moment, when Paxton realized she wouldn't be able to pull her neighbors out herself.
Paxton says, "That's the hardest thing I ever had to do."
