Beach House Fire Tragedy

[Connie]

You may have seen the news of the fire in the beach house in North Carolina which killed 7 college students. The town where the fire occurred is a short distance from the South Carolina border. Six of the students who were killed were from the University of South Carolina, and most of them graduated from high school (2006) in Greenville, SC, which is very near me. The seventh student attended Clemson University which is also very near me.

The president of USC paraphrased John Dunne's poem, "No Man Is an Island," in his first news conference after the tragedy. It is true...a bit of us is gone, and we are less now.

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Connie, I hadn't heard - haven't listened to or read news in a few days. What a tragedy, to lose so many young ones at once .... thoughts from NJ.

tracy

 

[Kristine]

I've been reading about this tragedy and can anyone tell me if it's been reported if this place had any smoke detectors?

That tends to be an item reported in our neck of the woods and it's really pushed locally to make sure places have them. Our fire depts give them out for free.

It makes you wonder if there had been detectors would more lives have been saved? Such a sad, sad story.

 

[Connie]

I've been reading about this tragedy and can anyone tell me if it's been reported if this place had any smoke detectors?

That tends to be an item reported in our neck of the woods and it's really pushed locally to make sure places have them. Our fire depts give them out for free.

It makes you wonder if there had been detectors would more lives have been saved? Such a sad, sad story.

Neighbors and survivors reported that the smoke detectors were going off. The fire apparently spread so fast that 7 of the 13 people in the house perished.

One young man jumped from a third story window into a canal. From the photos, it looks like the house was a few (4-5?) feet from the water, so it was a wonder that he could jump that far out from the window. He did have scrapes, bruises, and some burns. He has been on our local news, of course, but he has also been interviewed on the Today Show and some other national shows. That is also true of the family of one of the young women who died in the fire.

Clemson University has lost at least 3 of its students this school year. Two died suddenly, having collapsed, one while running and the other while standing on the sidelines watching or waiting to join a "pick up" football (US) game. The 3rd died in that beach house fire.

The University of South Carolina also, at the beginning of the school year, had a student who fell from a 5th floor dorm window and died several days later. This beach house fire brings the total to 7 student deaths this year.

Since the school year begins in September, these tragedies have taken place in the first 2 months of school.

It has been a difficult year for each college.

 

[Victoria]

Connie it was on the news here with horrific video. My heart breaks for all the families, and friends who survived this tragedy.

V

 

[Connie]

Thanks. It has indeed been heartbreaking. I cannot imagine losing a child, especially so suddenly.

Among the 13, there were 2 brothers in the house. One escaped. The other perished.

 

[Connie]

Some of you may remember that in January of 2006, I lost an employee who had worked for me for 23 years. She and her husband perished in a house fire. Yesterday I learned that her granddaughter had been a cheerleader on the same squad with the young woman from Clemson University who perished in the beach house fire. The squad placed and order with us yesterday for a large basket of plants with accents in the school colors.

Just had to share. This brings back the memories of our own loss.