CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - A 70-year-old woman is awakened by a Caroline County deputy telling her to get out of her house because it’s on fire.
Deputy Mark O’Connor was on his way home from working his midnight shift when he heard the dispatcher call for fire units.
O’Connor was four minutes away and when he got to the scene, two people were standing at the foot of the driveway.
”I thought they were the homeowners, but they informed me they were neighbors and they were pretty sure the woman was still inside.”
O’Connor was able to help the woman to safety after finding her fast asleep in the back bedroom. She didn’t want to be identified in this story.
He noticed the smoke detector wasn’t going off and Caroline firefighters confirm they weren’t in working condition. No word yet on what started the fire that burned out a good portion of the woman’s roof.
Sheriff Tony Lippa and Major Scott Moser awarded O’Connor Thursday afternoon with the distinguished life saving award and Sheriffs coin.
