WA family searching for Good Samaritans who saved them from fire

Fire destroys WA home, family seeks Good Samaritans

A Snohomish County family that lost almost everything still has something to be thankful for: a stranger’s knock.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. - A Snohomish County family that lost almost everything still has something to be thankful for: a stranger’s knock.

They told FOX 13 Seattle that a pair of Good Samaritans stepped in as fire spread through their Mountlake Terrace home.

Josh Cope and Linda Golseth said that knock happened on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. just as they were going to bed. "That is the only reason we knew our house was on fire," Golseth said. They ran outside and that’s when they noticed their 24-year-old son’s car in the driveway.

"Her mama bear instinct took over," Cope said.

Golseth ran back in to search for their son and two cats. Cope has multiple sclerosis and couldn’t follow.

"I just froze and just screamed, screamed so loud because I thought I was looking at losing my wife, my son and our house all in one shot and I just lost it," Cope said.

Turns out, their son and his girlfriend had walked to a store and were okay. From the front, the house looks fine, but inside, a collapsed roof and water and smoke damage fill the house. Out back, the windows are boarded, the deck is collapsed and burned debris is scattered on the ground.

"You almost can’t believe it’s reality, that your house is burning down in front of you," Golseth said.

While the family is okay, all their belongings are gone. They were left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. "It’s sad to think about sentimental things that get passed down from your family, but overall, they’re just possessions," Golseth said.

They now want to find and thank the man and woman who knocked on their door and woke them up.

"Our guardian angels who alerted us, if you’re watching, please reach out to us," Cope said.

The family told FOX 13 Seattle that firefighters found and rescued the cats. FOX 13 Seattle reached out to South County Fire and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.