MILLERSBURG, Ky. (LEX 18) — It’s been more than six weeks since Rumpke employee Jerry Curtis and his partner, Kyle Wilson pulled a man from his burning home in Millersburg.
“Good to see you!” Tim Brewer said while fighting back tears. Brewer was badly injured when his home on Main Street caught fire around noon on August 5th.
“It was a matter of minutes. I had resigned myself to the fact that this is where they’ll find me,” Mr. Brewer said of the dire situation he faced when an electrical fire erupted in the wall near his bed.
Brewer spent more than three weeks in UK Hospital recovering from second-degree burns and pneumonia, which was likely induced, or exacerbated by smoke inhalation. He spent another three weeks in rehabilitation before returning to his sister’s home to continue his recovery. This morning, Jerry came to visit.
“I’m afraid a handshake isn’t gonna do it,” Brewer said as he stood up and hugged Curtis.
“You’re looking better,” Curtis told his new friend. And he would know.
“On the day of the fire, he was looking rough, so to see him now…” Curtis explained, and you knew where he was going with the rest of that sentence he didn’t finish.
Tim promised Jerry that he’d track down his partner, Kyle to thank him as well.
“We didn’t even think. (If) someone is hollering for help that’s what you do. Just give whatever help we could," Curtis said.
Tim is convinced their help saved his life.
“I was another minute or two from not coming out of that,” Brewer said.
Jerry and Kyle hauled away the trash in the neighborhood that day. They collected a new friend in the process.
“We’ll get together for dinner,” Tim promised.
