A Bartow County deputy is facing a heartbreaking loss after her mother died from injuries suffered in a fire that destroyed the family’s home the day before Thanksgiving.
Pam Bell, 70, died Sunday night, four days after she was pulled from the burning home near Calhoun. Bell was the mother of Deputy Elizabeth Townsend, a wife and mother of five with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.
“She’s very loving to everybody,” said Deputy Pam Ploof, a close friend of Townsend.
The fire broke out the day before Thanksgiving while several members of the family were inside.
“The fire started in the middle of the house, and Elizabeth and the two boys were able to get out of the house, and her father was able to get out, and they realized their mother, Ms. Bell, was still asleep in the bedroom,” said Ploof.
A driver who happened to pass by stopped to help. Ploof said he helped Townsend’s husband, Shane, pull Bell from the burning home. Bell was rushed to a hospital but later died from her injuries.
Townsend’s family lost the home and all of their belongings in the fire. Friends and fellow deputies have been collecting donations as the family looks for a new place to live.
“When you’ve lost everything, you’ve lost everything. They have no sheets, no towels, no mattresses, nothing. We’re trying to get them the essentials until they can find a place,” said Ploof.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family: https://gofund.me/db6156757
