'We will stay in contact forever': Hope Mills father, son awarded Carnegie Medal for heroic act

A Hope Mills father and son have earned recognition for their attempt to save an elderly neighbor from a house fire last year.

Anthony Peterkin said he and his 19-year-old son Jaden Peterkin didn't think twice about running into a burning home in the 900-block of Red Cedar Lane in an attempt to save Russell D. Cox, 88, who later died from his injuries. The two were presented with the Carnegie Medal, an international honor bestowed upon good Samaritans by the Carnegie Hero Fund.

"I didn't have time to react, time to think," Anthony, 53, said.

The Peterkins' act of heroism began around 10:30 p.m. April 11, 2021, when Jaden walked outside and noticed a flare of light in the distance. Suspecting the flare was actually a fire a street over, Jaden ran inside the Peterkin home and told his father, who suggested they see what was going on.

"We were just being nosy," Jaden said.

Other news: This Fayetteville road may be the deadliest in NC. Here's what NCDOT is doing about it

When the Peterkins reached the scene, they found the house engulfed in flames and their neighbor, Shirley Cox, screaming for help — her husband of 68 years was trapped inside.

"We asked what was going on and she said her husband was in the kitchen," Jaden said.

Helping a man in need

Father and son immediately took action, running into the Cox house in search of Russell Cox, but the pair were quickly overwhelmed by the smoke and had to return outside to catch their breath. Jaden called 911.

"That's when (my dad) got smart and crawled beneath to get under the smoke," Jaden said.

Realizing his father would need help, Jaden said he dialed 911 and handed the phone to Shirley Cox, then followed Anthony inside. There they found Russell Cox in the kitchen with severe burns to his back and legs. According to Anthony, doctors would later estimate Cox had sustained burns to 50-60% of his body.

Seeing the extent of Cox's burns, the Peterkins decided to carry him out of the home on a mat, flames raging around them. Less than a minute after the three emerged from the house, the garage door — the only accessible point of exit and entry — slammed shut, collapsing under the intensity of the fire, Jaden said.

Time in the hospital and a loss

According to a report from the Cotton Fire Department, Jaden called 911 around 10:40 p.m., and Russell Cox was out of the house by 10:44 p.m. Fire crews arrived shortly after, and paramedics took the Coxes and Anthony Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Jaden returned to the Peterkin home to tell his mother what had happened. He would later be examined at the hospital for smoke inhalation. Anthony Peterkin, however, would remain at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for another two days on oxygen to combat the smoke he'd inhaled.

Related news: Teens learn EMS, CPR and fire safety at first CERT Academy in Fayetteville

According to Anthony, Russell Cox was immediately flown from Cape Fear Valley Medical Center to UNC-Chapel Hill's burn center. Cox would die there a day later from his injuries.

Informed after the fire that the retired Army major had died,  Anthony Peterkin said he was devastated.

"I thought he was saved," he said. "It was a very, very emotional moment, 'cause we really thought we saved him."

The aftermath

According to the report, the fire appeared to have started on the exterior balcony or porch area of the Cox home, but a cause could not be determined. The Coxes were asleep at the time of the fire and were woken up by their smoke detector around 10:38 p.m., the report says.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the first silver lining for the Peterkins was the newfound relationship with the Cox family, particularly with Shirley Cox. 

"The way I see it, we will stay in contact forever," Anthony said. "She is part of my family now, as well as I am a part of her family."

Anthony attended Russell Cox's burial, he said, and the two families check up on each other regularly, sending texts on major holidays and inviting one another to events like birthday dinners.

The next silver lining to emerge from so much heartache came this spring when a member of the Cox family emailed the Peterkins to let them know he was nominating them for a Carnegie Medal.

Being nominated for the Carnegie Medal

Created in 1904 by U.S. industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the medal is given to "individuals in the United States and Canada who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others," according to the Carnegie Hero Fund, which sponsors the award.

Only those with no connection to the person they are trying to save qualify for the award, the fund's website said. According to the Carnegie Hero Fund, nominations must be made within two years of the heroic act taking place, and the rescuer must have known they were risking their life at the time of the event.

As of June 2022, 10,307 people had been awarded the medal since its inception. About 20% of the medals are given posthumously, according to the Carnegie Hero Fund.

Honorees receive a bronze medal with Andrew Carnegie's head engraved on it and an undisclosed amount of money.

The Peterkins were two of 16 individuals to receive the honor in June 2022, according to the fund.

The duo said when they learned they'd been nominated, their reactions were mixed.

"At first, I was against it because we didn't want any attention behind this," Anthony said. "But (the Coxes) expressed to me that it wasn't about me and my son; it's the act that we did, putting our lives on the line to try to save somebody else."

Jaden, a rising sophomore studying computer science at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, said he was "grateful" for the medal and the money will help with college.

"I was just grateful that God had blessed me with this," he said. "I was just thankful, you know. Very appreciative."

Though the Carnegie Medal has been a note of positivity in the midst of loss and trauma, the award isn't the Peterkins' main focus when reflecting on the tragedy, they said, but the lessons learned from it in handling difficult realities.

The focal point for Anthony has been the Cox family, he said.

"My life has changed dramatically," Anthony said. "Just knowing that I thought I saved someone when I really didn't... It just hurts knowing that he passed, and that's something I gotta live with for the rest of my life."

Jaden, meanwhile, views the incident as a valuable lesson in safety.

"Just always stay alert," he said. "From this whole experience, I've learned (to) always have your guard up. Pay attention to your surroundings."

Ultimately, the Peterkins said, they are humbled by the honor for an act that came instinctively to them.

"I had no idea that it was this big, this award," Anthony Peterkin said.

Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.

The Observer app is free to download.

Huge savings

Subscribe today to support local journalism and enjoy unlimited digital access including videos, apps, sports news, and more. Special introductory offer for new subscribers only.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Hope Mills father-son team earns Carnegie Medal for heroic deed