A heartwarming story of a Boston man who was rescued from a house fire 45 years ago and got to reunite with the firefighter who saved his life.
Umar Fox was just three years old when a fire broke out at his family’s home in Dorchester, Boston on December 26, 1978. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Joseph Gilmore, a Boston firefighter, Fox and his nine-year-old sister, Lisa, were safely rescued from the blaze.
A powerful photo captured by Boston Globe photographer George Ritzer showed the incredible moment when Gilmore carried the terrified siblings out of the burning home with both arms.
A touching incident of a Boston firefighter reuniting with the children he saved from a fire 45 years later 🔥
Thanks to the power of social media, the Fox family was able to track down Gilmore after years of searching, and a heartwarming reunion took place on Wednesday (December 27), almost 45 years after the rescue.
“Oh my god, I wouldn’t want to pick you up now, buddy,” Gilmore jokingly said as he embraced Fox with a big hug. “How’re you doing? It’s great to finally meet you!”
“This guy saved our lives. We wouldn’t be here. I have wonderful children,” Fox said.
The Fox family remains eternally grateful to Gilmore for his heroic actions. Fox, now a father of five, acknowledges that his kids wouldn’t have been born if it weren’t for Gilmore’s selfless act of bravery.
While Lisa was unable to attend the reunion due to illness, their mother, Silvia, was also present for the occasion and expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards Gilmore.
Gilmore, who had just completed another rescue mission, vividly remembered hearing about the children trapped in the burning home and felt deeply compelled to help, despite the dangers that awaited him.
“You don’t want to hear that, but if you get there, you want to [see] them,
