Man stayed by wife’s side in Missouri house fire; both died

NEW MELLE, Mo. — An aged Missouri couple died in a fireplace when a person refused to go away his spouse as their house burned and the ground that was their escape route collapsed, fireplace officers stated.

Kenneth and Phyllis Zerr, each 84, died within the fireplace Thursday at their house in New Melle, Missouri, about 37 miles (59.55 kilometers) west of St. Louis.

“It is a tragedy, type of a tragic love story,” New Melle Fireplace Chief Dan Casey stated. “He might have positively gotten out. The household is aware of he might have gotten out, however he was going to stick with her.”

Kenneth Zerr known as emergency dispatchers to report the hearth, opened a door for firefighters to enter after which went again to his spouse, who used a wheelchair and had fallen on the ground of the toilet of their main bedroom. He stuffed towels below the door in a futile try to preserve out the smoke, Casey stated.

Kenneth Zerr was not capable of get his spouse up and ultimately the bed room ground collapsed, trapping them within the lavatory, Casey stated.

Firefighters made it via thick smoke to the bed room however needed to retreat when the ground started collapsing as they looked for the couple, the chief stated.

“The dispatch was on the telephone with my father and my father was making an attempt to assist my mom out of the home and so they obtained trapped,” their son, Andy Zerr, informed KSDK-TV. “The dispatch informed my father to return out of the home and my father stated ‘I’m not leaving my spouse,’ and stayed together with her till the top.”

The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage in September. Firefighters stated they died of smoke inhalation.

The reason for of the hearth is below investigation however officers imagine it was unintended and began close to an equipment within the basement, Casey stated.

Some firefighters suffered minor burns within the blaze.