Jorgensen, who rescued the pair

Four factors play into father / son survival

    • Was going into work later that day, instead of first thing in the morning.
    • Uncharacteristically decided to scoop her walk in the middle of a snow storm.
    • Had a gut feeling, that someone had to be in the house.
    • Remembered the house layout and had a good idea where the bedroom was.

    HARLAN -The day after the devastating house fire, Harlanite Barb Jorgensen didn’t think she was a hero, it was a combination of luck and being at the right place at the right time that saved two people’s lives.
    “Theo (Behrens) and Johana (Torres) are great neighbors, they’ve helped me around the yard, watched out for me and their kids are wonderful -- I feel so sad for all they’ve lost, especially with a newborn -- they’ve lost everything.
    “They have nothing - dishes, blankets, clothes, it goes on and on,” Jorgensen said on Tues., Dec. 29. Just 24 hours after the fire that left a Harlan family homeless.
    “I haven’t really spent much time letting it sink in, my throat is scratchy from all the smoke and I’m still sore from pounding on the side of their house.”