WASHINGTON — The children who were trapped in a smoky house fire Sunday in Clinton, Maryland have had an emotional reunion with the Prince George’s County first responders who rescued them.
Marcus McCoy, 13, met the 911 operator who comforted him, saying, “You’re doing a great job, OK?” while his little sister is heard in the background screaming, “We’re going to die!”
“All I can say is thank you,” he said at the fire station Tuesday. “I can’t thank them enough for saving me and my sister.”
Aaliyah McCoy, 9, described the moment firefighter Lt. Kenny Ward smashed through a window and entered the bedroom.
“I felt like we were going to be saved, and we’re going to be ok,” says Aaliyah.
Ward and Fire Chief Marc Bashoor fought back tears while recalling the response.
“If you’re a firefighter, you dream for moments like this,” Ward says.
Marcus said he learned about calling 911 from his parents, and first responders marveled at his composure
Three adults who were in the house on Small Drive when it caught fire escaped safely before firefighters arrived.
The reunion was at the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS station on Allentown Road in Fort Washington.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
