Woman, Los Angeles County Fire Captain Enjoy Emotional Virtual Reunion
It was a teaful virtual reunion between a woman trapped by a raging wildfire and the fire captain who drove through the flames to save her.
While Patty Phillips and Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Malcolm Dicks are looking forward to a face-to-face meeting, both know it won't happen right now.
Dicks is heading the Urban Search and Rescue operation in the Palisades area, KCAL reported.
An emotional Phillips explained she prayed to die by smoke inhalation rather than burning alive as she sat in her stuck vehicle with her dog, Koda.
She was racing to evacuate her home in the Big Rock neighborhood of Malibu last week with when she found herself surrounded by fire that closing in on her.
Unaware that she had gotten stuck on a boulder, she called 9-1-1 in a panic, begging for help because her car wouldn't move. She was transferred to a second dispatcher, who explained that it would be unlikely that someone would be able to get to her.
As she prayed for survival, she began to send her husband, James, what she believed were her final text messages. He had already made it out.
"I love you. I'm in big trouble," one message read. Another text was even more ominous.
"I'm stuck I don't know where I'm at. My car won't move the fire and," the text said, abruptly cutting off at the end.
He husband was on a mission. After striking out with a few who said it was far too dangerous, he kept focused. He found a firefighter named Malcolm.
"My husband had him by the collar, 'Please save my wife,'" Phillips said. "Malcom said, 'Let's go. And he goes up and he goes, 'We might not make it but we'll try.'"
Nearly 30 minutes after she called 9-1-1, she saw a fire truck approaching through the black smoke. It was her husband and Malcolm.
When they reached her, she thanked the firefighter profusely. He advised her that they were still in danger and needed to get down the hill and past the fire.
They did. She had been saved.
After they reached safety, the couple and Malcolm parted ways. Phillips reached out to a reporter to help find her hero.
"He risked his life to save mine. Like, that is a brave man and he needs a hug from me, he needs to receive an honor. Nobody else would come."
It didn't take long for viewers to identify him, thanks in part to his name.
"I told my kids and my wife about it, I didn't know if I'd ever see [Phillips] again. I'll be excited to see her again and see the husband and the dog. And I'm just glad they made it out safe because unfortunately a lot of other people didn't."
Dicks was emotional as he watched Phillips' story and heard of her desire to thank him for his heroic actions. They were able to get on a FaceTime call and she praised and thanked him again.
But a reunion in person is on hold for a little longer. Dicks continues to work in the Palisades Fire zone, leading Urban Search and Rescue operations.
