The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013
We finally learned the identity of a Good Samaritan who saved a family from possibly perishing in their house early Sunday morning. The man is Patrick Lenez of Wirtz, a retired New Jersey firefighter, who was driving on U.S. 220 and saw a flicker of a flame and smoke nearby. Wheeling his vehicle around, he left the main highway and found storage shed behind a farmhouse on fire. Knocking on the door until he aroused the family, a wife, husband and three children, he then helped them to safety, even giving them some money before he left.
Although he left the scene before his identify was known, his hometown newspaper picked up on the story and made the identification on Monday. The fact that Mr. Lenez is a retired firefighter may have made the difference between not paying much attention, or even not noticing the flicker, and understanding that it could be a house fire. But it is a testament to his character that he took action, and saved the lives of a family of five in the process.
Mr. Lenez is a man of humility and took no credit for this deed, saying anyone else would have done the same. He even regretted not being able to do more for the displaced family.
We live in a world full of bad news, so a kind, and life-saving, deed by a stranger gives us all hope and reassurance. Mr. Lenez left a lasting legacy on that cold, January morning. He provided an inspiration for everyone to help others whenever possible, even if it means going out of the way to do so.
We are all pleased that when Mr. Lenez retired from his job in New Jersey he and his wife chose Franklin County as their new home. That move certainly became a blessing for one local family, and a reminder to everyone that we do indeed have Good Samaritans among us.
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