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Norfolk firefighter takes action for family at Harborfest

Posted at 10:13 PM, Jun 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-26 23:30:23-04

Seven-year-old Tabitha Mensch is excited to see Norfolk firefighter Stefan von Campe after he took action for her family during Harbor Fest.

"I was very thankful for what he did, and it was very nice. People never do that," the little girl told News 3.

They were at Harbor Fest when it started pouring, and Tabitha and her family were far from their car.

The situation could have been dangerous for Tabitha's two-year-old little brother, who's blind and autistic.

"He probably would have had a seizure. We were on the brink of him not being able to handle the rain because he doesn't understand what that is. It was really bad. We couldn't see. We've never been caught in rain like that before," Tabitha's mom, Tamarah said.

That's when firefighter Stefan von Campe saw the family getting soaked, and took action.

He was sitting inside an ambulance, and asked the family to come in and take cover.

"They were struggling, and it was just coming down. There was no mercy when it comes to that. So, I was like, okay, I could just sit here or invite them in," von Campe said.

It's a small gesture that meant the world to the family.

"We were just so thankful. We couldn't believe someone did something so sweet. We have had emergencies before, and people keep going, and you don't really get random acts of kindness anymore," Tamarah said.

But to Stefan, it was all a part of the day's duty.

"It seems like it's the right thing to do. It's just an opportunity to do it, and you just do it. It sounds like God put people at the right place at the right time," he said.

And for Tabitha, she can't say it enough.

"I just want to say thank you," she told von Campe.