On Tuesday we brought you the story of a burning motorhome rescue. In a nutshell, an RVing couple, Raymond Hanas (82) and Patricia Grabley (81) were motoring down New York’s Interstate 97 Thruway when their Class A caught fire. They immediately pulled onto the shoulder and tried to get out, but their rig’s door was too close to the guardrail to open. Intense flames from the fire at the rear of the motorhome were heading their way—sending an enveloping cloud of toxic smoke right at them.
Body cam video details burning motorhome rescue
Two New York State police troopers came on scene while the RVing couple were still trying to get out of their rig. Trooper Scott Westfall’s body camera caught the action. The video records the dramatic detail of Trooper Gregory Langtry’s attempts—and eventual success—in breaking into the fiery motorhome, and how rescuers pulled the couple to safety.
For fire victims, Raymond and Patricia, it must have seemed like hours as the fire roared at them and suffocating smoke filled their nostrils. But checking the timestamp on Trooper Westfall’s bodycam shows just a little over a minute from his arrival on scene to rescuers yanking the couple through the entry door glass hole.
All of us are grateful for the quick thinking and courage shown by all the rescuers involved.
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God bless these amazing first responders. True heros!
At least once a year, I open the emergency exits on my coach just to check them. It also helps me remember how they operate.
New York’s FINEST!!
There are lots of glass breakage tools, I have one in each of my vehicles, ostensibly for ending up in water. Now I have something new to worry about
What brand and model was that RV???
There was a Tiffin logo.
Stop the vid at :23 you’ll see its a Tiffin
Thank you, Russ and Tina! Boy! That was one very well-trained patrolman! To so quickly abandon trying to break the windshield in favor of breaking the window in the door, seems key to the rescue effort succeeding. Thank goodness they were successful! 🙂 🙂