Teen’s bravery didn’t flag: Rescues neighbor from blaze
Published: July 24, 2005
A new hero rose from the ashes of a ceremonial flag burning in Newton yesterday.
A teen helped save the life of a neighbor and World War II veteran after he pulled the man out of a burning shed.
William “Bill” McGrath, 85, was inside a shed behind his Newtonville Avenue home yesterday morning, attempting to destroy an American flag in the proper fashion - by burning it.
But McGrath suddenly lost control of the fire and was knocked backward, neighbors said.
Next-door neighbor Cynthia Towell, one of the first people to respond to the fire, said she removed a gas can that was near the flames.
Then, after realizing McGrath was too big to move alone, Towell said she ran back inside to wake up her 18-year-old son, Kevin Towell.
“I heard noises outside and my mother screaming hysterically,” Kevin Towell said. “She never screams. I thought maybe my dog died. I was thinking about putting clothes on.”
Kevin Towell apparently abandoned that plan and ended up running outside in only his boxer shorts. He found McGrath lying in the shed.
“At first, I couldn’t move him,” Kevin Towell said. “He was moaning and making some noises, but he didn’t say anything. Eventually, I lifted him up a bit and dragged him back from the fire,” he added.
The fire destroyed a shed and automobile, and nearby trees were burned as well. The fire was put out by Newton firefighters by 9:55 a.m.
McGrath, who served in the Pacific on PT boats during World War II, was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital yesterday afternoon, where he was awaiting surgery to repair his hip.
Kevin Towell, a recent Newton North High School graduate, shrugged off any claims of being a hero, saying he had no choice.
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