Deputy, driver pull woman from fire 1/14/2010 12:46 AM By KAREN DAILY Staff writer
If you ask Stephen Shunn or Tim Lowman about a house fire in bath Wednesday morning, both men say the other one deserves the credit for rescuing an elderly woman from the blaze, but Bath firefighters said the two men both deserve credit for saving the victim's life.
Shunn and Lowman had never met before their paths crossed on Williamson Street shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday, when the men spotted Edith Martin's single-story home on fire.
Neither man knew the woman, but drove to the home to see whether they could help.
Shunn, an Aiken County Sheriff's Office sergeant, was off-duty and checking in on his in-laws who live near Martin when he saw the smoke. Lowman, who drives a propane truck, was making deliveries.
Each man headed toward the home.
There was no car in the driveway or any sign that someone was home, Lowman said, but he said he felt he needed to check to be sure and began knocking on the door.
He had no luck getting Martin to come outside and didn't know whether he should go in.
Just as he called 911, Shunn drove up.
"I had expected to see fire trucks when I rounded the corner," Shunn said. " But all I saw was the house on fire."
Lowman was relieved to learn Shunn was an off-duty deputy, he said.
"I have seen so much about oxygen fueling a fire, I was afraid to open a door and I knew he would know what to do," Lowman said
Both men continued to pound on the windows and doors at the home, but finally, Shunn went inside.
"She didn't know about the fire," Shunn said.
Firefighters arrived moments later, but the fire, smoke and water damage were extensive, said Bath Fire Capt. Clay Chipley.
They extinguished the fire, but the home was destroyed, officials said.
"There were no injuries," the captain said sympathizing with Martin's loss. "It could have been worse."
Firefighters said faulty wiring caused the blaze.
"Apparently a squirrel or something had chewed on some wiring inside the ceiling," Chipley said. "We are just glad that no one was injured all the way around."
No firefighters suffered any injuries.
Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.
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