Good Samaritan Saves Woman From Burning Home
By: Angie Koehle
Updated: July 9, 2010
FREEDOM TOWNSHIP, BLAIR COUNTY - The sight of flames and smoke billowing from the window of a mobile home on Chevrolet Lane made Ryan Snyder spring into action. He rushed to the door. That's where he found tenant Debbie Kagarise sprawled out on the floor.
"We had to pick her up. She can't walk. That's the only thing I do know about her. We had to carry her away," Snyder said.
John Eichelberger, who was also in the area at the time, helped carry her to safety.
"She was apologizing for the fire saying how sorry she was and that she lost everything," Eichelberger said.
Little can be salvaged from the Freedom Township trailer now. A burned fan, sneakers and boys bicycle litter the ground outside the trailer. It was an 8 year old boy that officials said started the fire. They said he had a sparkler in the home.
"He was scared just like any other 8 year old would be," Eichelberger said,
The men said Kagarise is his grandmother and had custody of him. She suffered facial burns in the fire.
"I honestly didn't know anything until afterward. She had black soot on her face and arms. Other than that, I couldn't tell, but they did say she did get burned," Snyder said.
Snyder said he doesn't feel like a hero.
"No. Just doing what I should have done," he said.
"We had to pick her up. She can't walk. That's the only thing I do know about her. We had to carry her away," Snyder said.
John Eichelberger, who was also in the area at the time, helped carry her to safety.
"She was apologizing for the fire saying how sorry she was and that she lost everything," Eichelberger said.
Little can be salvaged from the Freedom Township trailer now. A burned fan, sneakers and boys bicycle litter the ground outside the trailer. It was an 8 year old boy that officials said started the fire. They said he had a sparkler in the home.
"He was scared just like any other 8 year old would be," Eichelberger said,
The men said Kagarise is his grandmother and had custody of him. She suffered facial burns in the fire.
"I honestly didn't know anything until afterward. She had black soot on her face and arms. Other than that, I couldn't tell, but they did say she did get burned," Snyder said.
Snyder said he doesn't feel like a hero.
"No. Just doing what I should have done," he said.
