NORMAN, Okla. (KOCO) — When a tornado passed through Norman, Oklahoma on Feb. 26, Frances Tabler and her three children took cover in a hallway inside their home.
It protected them, but the strong winds ripped apart the house.
"It was very scary and traumatic. Very scary and traumatic," said Frances.
The roof was gone, parts of the home were hanging by a wire, and there was debris everywhere.
Frances, her kids, and their dog named Gracie were trapped inside the home, until paramedic Meagan Tompkins and Dustin McCoy showed up and got them to safety.
After the rescue, the family and paramedic Tompkins reunited.
"We appreciate it so very much," said Frances.
"Yeah, no problem," said Tompkins.
During the rescue, Tompkins forced open a door without any equipment.
"Trying to think about getting into a house that's so in complete shambles without tools and equipment that fire carries, I was like, 'How are we going to do this?' But thankfully, the door was able to get a good push and it popped open," said Tompkins.
McCoy suffered injuries during the rescue but denied medical treatment and remaining on duty. EMS STAT plans to honor both paramedics with a heroism award.
"You [paramedics] don't get enough credit whatsoever for what you do," said Frances.
