Once a Marine, Always a Marine.
Retired Marine Veteran and hero Terry Bagley Sr. is fighting for his life after rushing into a burning building in Baltimore, Maryland, to rescue a mother and daughter trapped in the aftermath of a building explosion Tuesday night.
The hero is in critical condition in a Maryland hospital. The mother and daughter have been upgraded to stable condition.
GOOD SAMARITAN: Terry Bagley, a 70-year-old military veteran, is fighting for his life after rescuing two females from the aftermath of an explosion in Baltimore’s Pigtown neighborhood. https://t.co/1TlCXzI5Hz
— WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) November 23, 2022
American Military News reports:
Bagley entered the building and tried to save them, but another part of the house collapsed on him. He remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday, unable to celebrate the holiday he started cooking for days earlier. Officials said the other two victims had been upgraded to stable condition on Wednesday.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, fire spokesperson Chief Roman Clark said. Rattled neighbors told reporters at the scene that Baltimore Gas and Electric had been doing work in the area recently. BGE workers were also present at the explosion site the following day.
Bagley’s daughter, Eris Bagley, said he was placed in a medically induced coma because his injuries are extensive, including a broken pelvis, femur and hand. She said doctors delayed performing surgery Wednesday in hope that his heartbeat would become stronger; they planned to complete the surgery Thursday.
“He lived through polio outbreaks. He survived toxic water at Camp Lejeune. He served in Vietnam, one of the most horrific wars known to America,” Eris Bagley said. “I’m not used to seeing my dad weak.”
But she said his pain is severe; she can see tears in his eyes. She spent hours with him at Shock Trauma on Wednesday, telling him his family was proud of him and everything would be OK.
“We are just praying for the surgeon’s hand and praying that my father is so stubborn he doesn’t want to leave us yet,” she said.
Bagley’s son Terry shared the story on a GoFundMe established to support medical care for his heroic father.
“Hello everyone, my father, Terry Bagley Sr., was injured severely trying to save two people in the Pigtown explosion yesterday afternoon. As my father was walking to the grocery store, he noticed the situation and intervened to help bring two people to safety. As a result of this heroic act, my father was crushed by the debris until firefighters found him. My father is a 70-year-old veteran who had put his life on the line to ensure the safety of others. He is currently in Shock Trauma, where he has to undergo several surgeries due to this traumatic event. It has not been easy for us as a family to see what he is going through now. My father faced many adversities in his life, and we are prayerful that things will get better in time. We are asking for additional help for his medical expenses due to not knowing how much his insurance will cover. We thank you in advance from my family to yours!”
