Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat have nothing on Vancouver’s newest tag team champions.
Enter R.J. Pena and Landon Thatcher.
R.J. Pena and Landon Thatcher outside city hall on Friday afternoon. They were recognized for their bravery in the face of an East Vancouver house fire. (Photo by Dan Toulgoet)
Although they’re separated in age by two decades, they became pals for the rest of time on June 23.
It was on that afternoon that Pena’s East Vancouver home caught fire and was almost immediately engulfed in smoke and flames.
Over to Pena, seven, for the play-by-play.
“I called the police and I called the ambulance,” he told the Courier Friday afternoon. “And when I smelled the smoke, I went downstairs and then I told my [grandma] to go outside. She went down the stairs, and then after she came outside. But my [grandfather] was stuck in the fire. My neighbour went inside to go get him.”
Thatcher, who lives two doors down from the home, was in his backyard painting when he noticed the flames and made his move.
A video posted to his Facebook account shortly after fire broke out shows the top level spewing smoke.
“This house is done for,” Thatcher is heard saying.
Warning: This video contains strong language
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9gW0MN40zo
In the span of five minutes, Thatcher bolted up the back steps and followed the sounds of panic while flat on his belly.
“R.J. was screaming, saying his grandpa was in the house. I could hear him screaming,” Thatcher said. “I remember looking over in my yard and I was worried. I was terrified. I wanted to see my kids before I went in there because I thought I might not come out.”
Thatcher had to clear about 12 feet from the entranceway to locate Pena’s grandfather who doesn’t speak English and was thoroughly disoriented by the plumes of smoke. Thatcher crawled along the floor to the elderly man’s location and directed him outside to safety.
Neither man was injured.
“Within a few minutes after, the house was fully engulfed,” Thatcher said.
Thatcher and Pena were among a dozen people celebrated at city hall Oct. 26 as part of the Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services’ annual Citizen Commendation Ceremony.
Now in its fourth year, the ceremony recognizes Vancouverites who go above and beyond in myriad scenarios: on-the-spot emergencies where immediate action is needed or through more long-term efforts.
More than 100 people crammed into a room at city hall for the proceedings, including dozens of Pena’s classmates from St. Mary’s elementary school.
“For him to see that he’s so capable of doing something for other people, I think it was a confidence boost for him,” his teacher Jennifer Caldwell told the Courier. “His classmates are really proud of him right now.”
R.J. Pena surrounded by classmates and Mayor Gregor Robertson during the award ceremony October 26, 2018 (Photo by Dan Toulgoet)
Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services’ information officer Jonathan Gormick was pretty black and white when assessing Thatcher’s actions. Simply put, had he not acted when he did, Pena’s grandfather would be dead.
And, had it not been for Pena’s quick call to 911, what is now a feel-good, Friday story would have been a tragedy four months ago.
“What prevented this from being another tragic statistic was the quick thinking of a seven year old,” Gormick said. “Instead of panicking, this young man had the clarity, calmness and courage to get one of the occupants out and to call 911.”
Other Vancouverites to receive awards Friday:
Molly Coldwell is a Vancouver homeless outreach worker who has dedicated years to locating and connecting the city’s homeless with services and housing.
John Norton is a city homeless outreach worker who has spent 20 years helping homeless citizens with complex problems access services and find help. Norton was key in relocating tenants displaced by the Balmoral and Regent hotel closures.
Robert Dumas is a downtown Eastside resident who voluntarily cleans up community spaces, keeping them free of debris, garbage and other hazards.
Luca Piccolo is a young philanthropist and advocate for other cystic fibrosis patients who developed and delivers an awareness presentation called “A Day in the Life of
Cystic Fibrosis.” Piccolo is the 2012 and 2013 Champion Child for BC Children’s Hospital.
Claire Fox is a young philanthropist and advocate for other diabetics who has raised more than $30,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She’s also a 2016 BC Children’s Hospital Jeans Day champion.
Jasmine Prasad is a community and healthcare advocate. She is a former caregiver for Wilson Liu, a child the fire department befriended who died in 2015. Prasad has since helped Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services when a firefighter’s daughter became ill, by connecting members with the daughter’s favourite celebrity, Tiera Skovbye from the TV show Riverdale.
Faris Abdulwahab is the winner of the2018 Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services’ Wilson Liu Community Hero Award. Abdulwahab lives with osteogenisis imperfecto, a genetic bone disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily. Abdulwahab fundraises for BC Children’s Hospital and advocates for awareness about the disease.
The D2D Foundation, with assistance from London Drugs, presented Faris with a Macbook Pro so he could pursue his future career in video editing.
