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Marcus Castro / AP
Firefighters look at the front of a heavily damaged two- story home where a Special Forces soldier died trying to rescue his 2 small children during a house fire early Tuesday in Hope Mills, N.C.
HOPE MILLS, N.C. - A Green Beret recently home from Afghanistan died trying to rescue his two young daughters from their burning home near Fort Bragg in North Carolina early Tuesday. The girls were also killed in the blaze.
Edward Cantrell and his wife escaped from the 2 a.m. blaze by jumping from the home's second floor, the Cumberland County sheriff's office said. Cantrell then wrapped himself in a blanket and re-entered the burning home in Hope Mills, about 10 miles from the Army base that is home to the Green Berets and other Special Forces units, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Tanna said.
Cantrell, 36, was trying to reach 6-year-old Isabella and 4-year-old Natalia, who were trapped in second-floor bedrooms, Tanna said.
"He never made it back out," Tanna said. Firefighters found their bodies inside the home, Tanna said.
Louise Cantrell was being treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation. The family dog, a Rottweiler named Sasha, also survived the fire and was being kept by neighbors.
The century-old home's timbers were likely very dry, causing a fast-moving blaze, Tanna said. The cause of the fire was under investigation, but authorities don't suspect foul play, reported NBC17.com.
Cantrell was a member of the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. He held the rank of chief warrant officer 2, said Lt. Col. April Olsen, a spokeswoman for Army Special Forces Command. It was not clear when he served in Afghanistan.
"It's just terrible. We sit here and say our Special Forces can take care of America and this man is trying to go up there and take care of his family and he can't," Cindy Jacobs, who works next door at Alzheimer's Related Care, said, according to NBC17.com.
Read more about the Hope Mills, N.C. fire on NBC17.com
Louise Cantrell, 37, is being treated for smoke inhalation at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, reported FayObserver.com.
The house was a three-bedroom home built in 1920, according to the newspaper.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
Leave a Comment:
R.I.P
What kinda bull@!$%# insensitive statement is that? What a bitch for saying it and even bigger bitch for reporting it! Maybe she didn't mean it the way it reads, but the "journalist" should have left that idiotic statement out of this article. Like, not being able to save yourself and children from an inferno dashes all hope that ALL Special Forces are able and willing to "protect America"?
alien--I think the woman who said that wasn't being cruel, she was reacting to the irony of the horrible situation. I can't speak for her, and maybe I'm hearing it differently than you are, but I think she was struck by the horror of a problem so terrible that even a highly trained solider, decorated for valor, was no match for the inferno he was brave enough to try to overcome. I hope so anyway.
Alien DF: she has Alzheimers.
Two words: Smoke Alarms...
@Sharktopussie
what makes you think they didn't have smoke detectors, studies have already found that they do not work in most cases (they don't wake some people up) and in this case it was very early in the morning when they were sound asleep.
too many people rely too heavly on technology and it will be shure to let you down. there isnt always a fail proof system.
RIP
So sad. :(
I agree that she meant no harm in her comment, but I thought the same thing. It came off wrong.
This just breaks my heart. My deepest sympathy to his wife and friends - what a terrible loss they've sustained. I hope his wife has family that can come and help comfort her - just too sad for words.
It is unimaginable that this guy managed to survive at least one tour of duty as Special Forces in Afghanistan and winds up dying at home in a house fire. I feel for his wife who lost her entire family in this one tragic event. I hope that she has other family to lean on to get her through this horrible time. I am sure that she will get support from the members of the Special Forces community in the area. Special Forces tends to be a tightly knit group, both among the soldiers and the families.
I do not know what she was trying to say but the quote from this Cindy Jacobs
comes across as a major insult to the entire Special Forces community. This comment also comes across as completely heartless in light of this tragedy.
I think some of you need to take a deep breath and stop jumping on this poor lady...are you all so desperate for something to bitch about that you intentionally misread what she said? Shes noting the tragedy and irony that this man, who survived being in Afghanistan, comes home and dies trying to protect his family...... my God...whats wrong with you people?
Completely agree, 4U.
Why in the world would she insult the entire Special Forces Community? As others have said, she was just stating the irony, albeit in a not so eloquent way. Get a grip and stop being so sensitive. Ugh.
totally awful. This makes me so sad. Sad to also know that I would have done the exact same thing
Very sad. My sympathies to the wife. She lived a life of not knowing if her husband would come home alive and in one piece. And now she loses him and her daughters. But as a GB he almost had no choice. The idea of living while your girls perish would be unimaginable for a man who is trained to put his life on the line for his brothers. The wife\mom is going to have a tough life. Hope she has the strength to move on.
Would be interested to know if there were smoke detectors in the home.
What does a green beret have to do with him having a choice or not of entering the inferno to save his daughters? Any father worth his mettle would have done the exact same thing.
I'm certainly not besmirching his service, rank or duty to country ... I am questioning your statement that somehow -- since he was a serviceman -- his protective senses as a father were stronger than a civilian father.
Agreed YJSW, I have nothing but respect for his service, but as a father of two young girls myself, that part is kinda irrelevant. ANY father worth his salt would have done the same thing.
Such a tragic story, I can only hope he at least made it to them, to comfort them in their last moments.
His being a Green Beret is pertinent to this story, in that he survived combat situations in service to us and his country, only to die at home trying to save his kids. His service and the related sad irony is what makes this particular attempted rescue hit home all the more. I feel especially sorry and prayerful for his wife, who has lost a husband and her babies.
Living my life while my two sons died is unthinkable for me, I would argue that any parent worth their salt would do the same thing. Personally I'd rather be in his shoes than hers; she has to face life without any of them. RIP, you made the ultimate sacrifice for something worth trying to save.
The C. Jacobs quote they chose to include (perhaps out of context) makes no sense in this tragedy. It implies an insult to Special Forces. A blanket does nothing to protect against the smoke, heat, and fire in this horrific situation. I can only commend his bravery in the face of such circumstances and feel sorrow given the outcome for all concerned.
YouJustSaidWhat... I understand what you're saying, but because he was Special Forces makes this more personal for me, not I did not know him but I am retired Special Forces and know some people now serving in the 3rd SFG(A)... I don't think the writer was trying to say that a Green Beret is anymore courageous when trying to save his or any other child, but rather pointing out that the man was a Special Forces soldier.
That is so sad. R.I.P. all.
Thank you for your service, sir, and may you rest in peace. And little ones, may you rest in peace. Your father will be with you forever and the three of you will be waiting for your mother to join you.
Yeah first off before anything else... RIP to this Soldier and his 2 little girls, certainly CERTAINLY a horrible thing that happened. I just hope his wife and their mother will be ok and be able to cope with this.
Just like the mother who lost both her logs moreless during the tornadoes trying to save her 2 kids, I believe ANY parent would risk their own lives if their children were trapped in a burning house... If it was me, I would have done exactly what this man did, I would have done everything possible to try and get to my children and save them. It really has nothing to do with him being a GB... He was a Father First and he did what any Father would have done, or I would hope all fathers would. The man wasn't trying to be a hero, but he is for doing what he did, even though the outcome wasn't good, he put his life down to attempt to save his girls. God bless him for that. RIP to all 3.
So sad. What a selfless man. Just goes to show you the kind of devotion a good parent has to their children. I will certainly keep the family in my thoughts.
This just breaks my heart. who wouldn't try to save their own kids?
D.O.L. ..................... Brother !
terrible.....how sad.
Semper Fi soldier.
Semper Fi is a Marines slogan, this man was in the Army.
Semper Fidelis, while a Marine motto, means Always Faithful.
That applies to this man just as well. He did get the "soldier" part right.
@... dr.girlfriend... some of us get it. Thanks Devil Dog!
dr.girlfriend;"DE OPPRESSO LIBER"
"Fighting Soldiers from the sky..."
"It's just terrible. We sit here and say our Special Forces can take care of America and this man is trying to go up there and take care of his family and he can't," Cindy Jacobs, who works next door!!
Not sure this isn't an assinine statement! Or is it just me!
God Bless him and his family! Thank you for your service to us all!
Yeah, I was kinda scratching my head at that one, too... not sure if she was simply unable to express what she was thinking, in her grief... something like, maybe, how even Special Forces guys are human, and even in their most heroic moments, sometimes the odds are too overwhelming...
... or, she was criticizing him, saying he should've been able to save them, because he's Special Forces, and she's disappointed in him?
Head scratcher.
I think we give her the benefit of the doubt on this one. I would hope she was distraught at the circumstances, not the man or his military service abilities. A sad day never the less.
I agree. What kind of moronic statement is that, Cindy Jacobs, or were you misquoted? God, I hope so. De Oppresso Liber, brother.
Give her a break! The woman who works next door has a heavy heart having to witness the burnt house that swallowed 3 people everyday. I am certain she meant well.
I will forever wonder why bad things always have to happen to good people.
Few things in life so tragic. Few things in death so honorable. My deepest condolences.
Eloquent perfection, gtfyre.
So sad. RIP brave soldier and kids.
BG for sure a dumb azz statement!! RIP BIA!!!!!!
"Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret
Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men we'll test today
But only three win the Green Beret
Trained to live, off nature's land
Trained in combat, hand to hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage deep, from the Green Beret
Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America's best
One hundred men we'll test today
But only three win the Green Beret
Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her this last request
Put silver wings on my son's chest
Make him one of America's best
He'll be a man they'll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret"
-SSgt Barry Saddler
Nothing more needs be said.
Indigo-Rage::: Thank you for The Green Beret. I have always loved it.
My pleasure.
God bless, G.I. Slow hand salute to you brother. You lived well, and you left this life honorably, trying to save the lives of your own kids. Rest now. Your labors are over.
Thank you for your service and bravery sir, and may you and your daughters rest in peace.
A true American hero. Muslims would have set their own daughters on fire. Be proud that our heroes are different.
...and let there be one idiot that would be one fool who would turn this into something more tragic than what is it already is. Take your moronic hate someplace else. There's no place for that here today.
There are Muslims serving in the armed forces. I'm sure they would have done the same for their daughters.
Muslims love their kids too. No one said, but this man could possibly have been a Muslim, odds are he wasn't, but so what if he was. It was not relevant to the story.
"It's just terrible. We sit here and say our Special Forces can take care of America and this man is trying to go up there and take care of his family and he can't," - the stupidest comment ever!
R.I.P. CW2
No, I believe your comment takes the title for stupidity. If you can't see what she was trying to say, the tragedy of this man surviving Afghanistan only to come home and die trying to save his children, then you are simply pathetic. Grow up.
He lived to protect our country and died trying to protect his children. What is stupid is not seeing the tragic irony that she noticed.
WOW....so sad and tragic.
Served his country and then dies in a fire trying to save his daughters. RIP......
This is why I can't seem to bring myself to believe in a mercifull and loving God. I guess I'll burn in hell if there is one, but,
"if there's a God in heaven, what's he waitin for? If he can't hear the children, then he must see the war. But it seems to me, that he leads his lambs, to the slaughterhouse, and not the promised land." Bernie Taupin/Elton John
Doug,
Its time like these that I understand how you can question it. But there are answers! It may seem that there isn't a God out there, because bad things happen. But bad things happen because we sinned. Bad things are the result of our sin. Adam and Eve brought the result of Sin into the world when they disobeyed God. I would be more than happy to discus this with you.
Just E-mail me @ safsufan@gmail.com
Maybe Elton is more to your liking,than a married father.Why disparage the faith in the land that had provided succor to millions.The world would not be tha same without our religion-there would be no usa
Doug: There is another world, the spiritual realm. Life doesn NOT end here! You have a body, soul and spirit, created in the image of God. Time has three parts, past, present future. Space has three dimisions: height, width, and length. Matter comes in threes; Liquid, solid or gaseous.
Elton John was queer and full of the devil!
Actually, it does say in the Bible that God is sending us out like lambs to the slaughter, therefore we should be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. But it says He's sending us out. You don't have to go where He sends you if you don't want to go. You don't have to follow His leading if you don't want to. But regardless of what you do, bad and good things will happen to all. Many Christians know what they sign up for when they decide to serve God. I think you should give God and try. Ask Him to reveal all of His character to you.
Don't worry Doug you won't. There isn't one. god is imaginary. My condolences to the family of this brave father, husband and solider.
there may be a creator, but we are flawed creatures in an unforgiving world. there is no moral or bright side to this story, other than to see that storybook endings rarely happen outside of storybooks. But the memory of this man should be honored for his sacrifices in life and death
<Salute!>
Bravery isn’t defined as being fearless; bravery is not letting fear define what you do. I would go into combat with this man any time, any place. His loss is a loss for the whole country. My deepest prayers are for the wife he has left behind. All she has left is a void where her family once was. Try and take solace in the fact that your children are with your husband. Your trials are greater than what any mother should have to bear. Once again, the hardest job is left to the living; they must pull it all together and carry on with life. I am humbled by just the thoughts.
This will be hard on all of Fort Bragg. These men are a unit! When one suffers they all do. Rest in peace to him and his children. So sorry Louise! We will pray with the other families!
The article didnt say anything about the guy did this because he was a Green beret. Stop reading into things so much. Its a sad story and not much else needs to be said
Rest in peace CWO Cantrell. You served your beloved nation and family with selfless commitment, pride, integrity, and valor. Few will ever know the personal sacrifice you have made on behalf of peace and the freedom of your fellow man. Service to others ran through your veins until your last call to action. Your nation is both proud and at loss for your heroic deeds. We weep at the thought of the tremendous void that your wife will endure and we pray that God will comfort her and the community support her.
Your patrol here on earth is done, mission accomplished. May God bring you and your little girls to rest where falcons fly free amongst the blue sky, where there is peace and no wars to fight.
De Oppreso Liber
Mike, no one could have said it better. My prayers will be with the wife left behind.