Man dies in Christmas Day fire while salvaging engagement ring

A man from California was about a week away from proposing to his girlfriend. So, when a fire broke out in their house on Christmas Day, Stephen Weatherford Jr He did his best to retrieve the engagement ring he had hidden from his girlfriend. Unfortunately, the 37-year-old died during a search of the home.

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What happened in the Christmas Day fire in California?

according to KTVUSteven saved his family from the flames but stayed in the ring. His family told the outlet he was planning to pop the question Lashanti Mayo To be his fiancée on New Year’s Eve. Stephen was at a home owned by his father, Weatherford Sr., in Oakland when the fire broke out. Authorities received the call at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Christmas Day.

His aunt, Eunice Smith, He reportedly told KGO that Stephen Weatherford Jr. was also “trying to save everyone” by making sure the house was empty. But she added that he may not have known they all came out the back. Smith said her other nephew was calling for Stephen to get out of the house and that family members heard the 37-year-old screaming. “…He never made it,” Smith said.

Firefighters eventually found Steven’s unconscious body inside the home. At this time, the Oakland Fire Department has ruled the house fire to be accidental.

Loved ones and neighbors describe Stephen Weatherford Jr

The neighbors of the affected family were released GoFundMe campaign To help the family with some financial aid. The campaign says the Weatherford family has lived in the neighborhood for more than 40 years and that Stephen Jr.’s mother died just a few years ago.

“In this time of unimaginable grief, as their neighbors and with many others in our area who wanted to do something, we have created a GoFundMe on behalf of Steve and his family. This is set up to help cover the costs of immediate financial needs and a memorial service for Steve Jr. The family will receive $100 % of your donations. No one should bear the weight of this grief alone, especially during the holidays. Every donation, no matter how small, will go a long way to lighten their burden and help them honor Steve Jr.’s memory.

LaShante, Steven Weatherford Jr.’s girlfriend, described him as “the best person” anyone could ever meet. “He loved his family, friends and everyone so much,” Mayo said. She didn’t know he was going to propose to her. It is unclear whether firefighters were able to recover the engagement ring.

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