Posted on 11/30/2016 8:54:07 AM PST by azkathy
As officials continue to search for a Memphis architect and his wife still missing after devastating fires that hit Gatlinburg this week, family and friends are using social media to provide updates on the family.
Jon Summers and his wife, Janet, haven't been found, friends said, and their three sons Branson and twins Wesley and Jared have been hospitalized after being caught in the fire. All three sons are at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, family friends confirmed.
The boys are doing much better. Thats great news, Steve Berger, president of the architectural firm that employs Jon Summers, said Wednesday. Were very hopeful about Jon and Janet being located.
The siblings are all listed in critical but stable condition, a hospital official confirmed Wednesday.
According to family friend Silas Armstrong, Jared Summers had just moved back to Memphis recently and was working at a restaurant while his brothers remained in Nashville. The family is trying to limit hospital visitation to family members, Armstrong said.
Armstrong said the Summers family is very close-knit and that the parents had home schooled their sons.
On Wednesday morning, Mike Agee posted on his Facebook page that the parents and their sons were split up as they tried to escape.
"What we know is in trying to escape, the family split up once their escape route was blocked by debris in the road. The boys went one way and the parents continued down the road," the post read.
Please consider donating to help the people in Tennessee. 100% of the money will go to help local families. I called and verified the information on this fund. "City of Pigeon Forge Fire Relief Fund" Citizens National Bank branch (865-453-9031) You can mail donations to: Citizens National Bank 200 Forks of the River Parkway Sevierville, TN 37862 All monies collected via this fund will be donated to Families in Seviere County who are in need due to the fires in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee. Thank you and please share this post.
Sadly, there will be many more who are missing in the fires. The videos have been horrifying. Prayers for the residents, tourists and firefighters and the lost pets.
Thanks for that. I will NOT donate to Red Cross.
I will not donate to Red Cross either. They provided some travel hygiene items to survivors of Rodeo Chediski fire but not much more. I have read too many stories about the waste of money through Red Cross. I would rather see funds go directly to families in the area.
A Fourth body was located in one of the motels that burned. They also reported today that 45 people have been hospitalized. They have not been able to search all the burned structures yet so there could be more fatalities.
Other people are missing as well. http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2016/11/29/michael-reed-gatlinburg-desperate-find-wife-daughters/94598762/
“Michael Reed clings to hope that he and his wife and two daughters will be reunited after the Gatlinburg fires drove them apart.
A friend drove to his home on Tuesday to check on the house and confirmed it had been destroyed. Reed said the sheriff’s office also did a sweep of his house twice yesterday and there were no signs of his family.
“They are up there now with an arson team doing a full sweep, and that’s what I’m waiting on right now,” he said.
His wife, Constance, and children Lily, 9, and Chloe, 12, have been missing from the fire-riddled mountains of Gatlinburg after allegedly evacuating their Wiley Oakley Drive home.”
As usual the media is almost silent while a BIG Story is unfolding. I pray that there are no more deaths or injuries but it doesn’t look good. Shouldn’t this be Breaking News?
Here is a link to a complete list of places where donations can be made. http://www.wbir.com/news/local/how-to-help-gatlinburg-pigeon-forge-fire-evacuees/357810685
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