PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — A relaxing vacation in the Bahamas quickly turned to panic after a Ponte Vedra Beach couple’s home caught on fire with their dog inside, no one was around, and the dogsitter stepped out.
“The only thing I could think about was our dog Gracie. Could care less about the house,” Alexandra Schmiet Hamrick said.
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Gracie is her 7-year-old silver lab that she adopted with her husband, Charles Hamrick, more than a year ago.
“Having that joy in the house is something that you can’t put a price on,” he said.
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Thanks to a passerby, that joy is still around. Christopher Fragnito was walking in the neighborhood when he saw the smoke and then heard Gracie barking. He quickly jumped into action and called 911.
Nest video shows him pacing on the front porch of the home, trying to get in. He is eventually able to get through a window with the help of deputies from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. Later in the video, you can see Gracie running out the front door.
“I didn’t even think about. I just knew we had to get the dog out and we were going to do whatever it took to get her out,” Fragnito said.
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Gracie lived through it, but the house is destroyed inside. The Hamricks are now working on gutting and re-doing the inside before their baby is born. A GoFundMe was set up for the couple to help cover the expenses that insurance won’t.
“Don’t be afraid to be that person. Don’t be afraid to step out. Because you never know what you could be doing for someone. He saved her life.”
The Hamricks’ baby is due in August. They hope to finish rebuilding their home soon after.
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