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Rescuers' "Heroic" effort was too late to save 72-year-old man. Date published: 11/14/2007 By Keith Epps
Efforts to save a 72-year-old man from his burning home were heroic but too
late, police said today.
Donald Hart died as the result of a fire at his home in Pinewood Acres in King George, about a half-mile east of the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Capt. Steve Dempsey said neighbors reported seeing smoke coming from the house at 7:45 a.m. Firefighter Shawn McDermott was first on the scene, and she was soon joined by sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Giles and Deputy Jimmy Simmons. McDermott opened the front door, Dempsey said, but the smoke was so heavy she couldn’t see anything. The firefighter felt around the door and touched upon some feet about 2 feet from the door, Dempsey said. With the assistance of Giles and Simmons, she pulled the body from the home into the front yard. The victim was already dead. “It was a very heroic effort,” Dempsey said. “But it was too late.” Hart’s body was sent to the medical examiner’s office in Richmond for an autopsy, Dempsey said. Smoke inhalation is the suspected cause of death. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Dempsey said investigators do not suspect foul play. It’s also not clear how long the fire had been burning before neighbors noticed the smoke, though Dempsey said it appeared to have been smoldering for some time before rescue workers arrived. He said there was not a lot of fire damage in the home, but considerable smoke and heat damage. Hart lived alone, police said.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404 - Keith Epps, The Free Lance-Star
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