MASTIC, NY — John and Maryann Gaeta suffered an unimaginable tragedy when their family home burned to the ground and their son’s life was taken by the flames last month.
When emergency crews arrived at the burning home on Overlook Drive in Mastic around 6:40 p.m., they found that John, 80, and Maryann, 81, had managed to escape the blaze.
Sadly, their son, Frank, 56, was
killed by the fire after John desperately tried to save him
.
A month later, Frank’s heartbroken parents have been recovering from the tragedy both mentally and physically.
John suffered third-degree burns all over his body he endured while trying to save his son’s life and he spent time in Stony Brook University Hospital’s burn unit. He is now recovering at a rehabilitation facility that will allow him to leave for Frank’s funeral on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Maryann was in the hospital’s critical care for a head injury after falling right after the initial explosion and has been staying with their other son’s house.
Their daughter, Melissa, has
organized a GoFundMe to help her parents rebuild, recover and move forward
.
On the fundraiser page, Melissa started her emotional story by saying, “This is incredibly hard for me to write as I’m crying just thinking about it, but here goes.”
From there, Melissa recounts that fateful day on May 5 when the Gaetas’ life changed forever after a gas explosion set the house ablaze.
According to Melissa, John and Maryann were relaxing on the couch watching TV while Frank showered in his downstairs apartment.
“When all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the couch shook so hard that my mom fell off of it and hit her head on the floor,” Melissa wrote.
Shortly after, Melissa said, her father heard her brother “screaming.”
She continued:
“So, he ran across the kitchen floor, out the door into the four-season room, and all of a sudden, all of the windows in the entire house blew out. My dad proceeded down the stairs to the deck in front of Frank’s apartment.
“He saw my brother (his son) engulfed in flames, naked, trapped behind his front door. My dad tried to save his son by opening up the door and dragging him up three stairs and used his own arms to try to put the flames out on Frank’s body, but couldn’t.
“He then saw a blanket inside Frankie’s apartment, so my dad went inside to get it. He brought it outside and tried to put the flames out on Frankie again, but it was too late. Frankie had passed away.
“My mom was able to get out the front door of the house upstairs and was screaming for help. There was a car driving by that stopped to help my mom.
“My mom was screaming, ‘Help my son, help my husband, they’re around back!’ This neighbor of theirs went around back to help my father, but it was too late. Their house had literally exploded (sounded like a bomb) and turned into a massive fire.
“It took 11 fire departments and several hours to put out the fire. My parents lost everything…their son, their home, all their keepsakes. I am so grateful that they both made it out alive.”
According to the fundraiser, John and Maryann “are having such a hard time emotionally, physically, and financially,” and their home is considered the site of an ongoing investigation.
“It’s so crazy and unbelievable that one moment they are having a peaceful, enjoyable day, and a moment later they are running for their lives,” Melissa wrote. “Their lives are forever changed because of it.”
Click here to read more and help John and Maryann recover.
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‘The House Exploded’: LI Fundraises For Parents Who Survived House Fire That Killed Son
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