The mother of a Tennessee lieutenant died after being trapped in her son’s house fire.
In a statement posted on the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Thursday morning, it was confirmed that Lt. Eddie Hefner’s mother, Pam McElhaney, had died following the incident on Sunday.
“On behalf of Lt. Eddie Hefner, he is grateful and humbled by the kindness, love and support he has received after recently losing his home in a fire,” the statement began. “Sadly, Lt. Hefner is now dealing with a much greater loss, the death of his mother, Pam McElhaney.”
“We, his HCSO family, ask that you continue to pray for Lt. Hefner and his entire family during this most difficult time,” the statement added.
PEOPLE reached out to the West Hamblen County Volunteer Fire Department, but they did not immediately respond for comment.
According to local media outlet WVLT, McElhaney was trapped inside the home after it caught fire, but was rescued by authorities and taken to the hospital.
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Local news outlet WATE 6 reported that McElhaney was rescued by Austin Rutherford, an off-duty firefighter with the Morristown Fire Department who happened to be in the area at the time.
“We were at church on Sunday night, and after the church let out, one of the members came to pick me up and said the house behind the church was on fire,” Rutherford told the news outlet.
The firefighter said that shortly after he went around the house to try to find an entrance, the West Hamblen County Volunteer Fire Department arrived.
Lt. Eddie Hefner and his mother Pam McElhaney photographed together.
Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office
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“You could see flames coming out of the bedroom they believed was hers whenever the fire started,” continued Rutherford, who got dressed and ran into the home to find McElhaney.
“I saw her on the floor,” he told the newspaper. “So at that point I yelled that I had her and pulled her into the hallway. When I pulled her out into the hallway, I was able to grab her and drag her to the front door where the ambulance was able to take her.”
According to a GoFundMe page set up on Hefner’s behalf by fellow Lt. Statler Collins, his mother was airlifted to a burn center in Nashville. Furthermore, Hefner was not at home at the time of the fire. The GoFundMe page has received over $5,000 in donations so far.
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A previous statement shared on Facebook by the Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday said that while McElhaney “suffered from severe smoke inhalation, she is now miraculously breathing on her own.” “However, she will remain in the hospital for an unknown period of time,” the statement continued.
According to her obituary, McElhaney, who was from Morristown, was 70 and a grandmother and great-grandmother. Her funeral is scheduled for Sunday at Westside Chapel Funeral Home.
According to WATE 6, Hefner has been with the sheriff’s office for more than 25 years.
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