1 dead, 1 saved in Camden fire; mystery rescuers sought
Two young people saved an elderly man from the burning building. But authorities haven't been able to learn their identities.
A 62-year-old man died in a fire in a three-story brownstone building in Camden, and his 90-year-old father was rescued from the flames, possibly by two Rutgers University students who lived in apartments nearby at the edge of the campus.
The blaze erupted shortly after midnight Friday morning, authorities said. The body of John Parker was found on the top floor of the three-story building.
At an impromptu news conference later at the scene near Second and Cooper Streets, Camden and Rutgers officials gathered and said no one has been able to find the heroes, but they want to thank them.
Fire Chief Michael Harper said a captain who responded to the fire saw two young people bringing the older man out. The captain "assumed they were students because it happened near the university," the chief said. When the elderly man told firefighters his son was still inside, they turned their attention to finding him and didn't get the names of the young rescuers, Harper said.
Harper said he did not know the identity of the father.
Mary Beth Daisey, vice chancellor of student affairs at Rutgers-Camden, said the school has been checking around to learn who the Good Samaritans were but they have not had success. She couldn't say with certainty that they were students and said that other residents, other than students, also live in the apartment building across the street.
But some students, she said "saw the fire … and called police and later saw young people they thought were students "walking out with the elderly gentleman." She also said those rescuers were seen throwing rocks at the windows of the building to alert people of the fire before they entered.
Daisey said university officials were searching social media for clues. She said that some students were tweeting videos of the fire.
The chief said the two rescuers had risked their lives. "Hopefully, someone will say it's them and we can put the puzzle together and say thank you to them for not thinking of themselves and for thinking of someone else," he said.
Harper also said that fire officials would like to speak to the rescuers because they may need treatment for smoke inhalation.
The 90-year-old man was taken to Cooper University Hospital after the fire "for precautionary reasons because of his age," the chief said. The man's wife, who also lives there, was not home at the time, the chief said.
Harper said the cause has not been determined, but he said it was not suspicious.
Mayor Frank Moran expressed sorrow at the death and said he was thankful one man was saved. He also expressed hope that Rutgers officials would be able to "track those heroes down, if you will."