Portsmouth, VA — For firefighter Mark Reynolds, every emergency call is a fight against the clock. But nothing could have prepared him for the shock of arriving at a multi-vehicle accident scene only to discover his wife was one of those injured.
t was an ordinary Thursday evening when the alarm at Station 17 rang out. A serious crash had been reported on the interstate. Reynolds, a seasoned 12-year veteran, geared up immediately—unaware this call would forever change his life.
The Call No First Responder Wants
When Engine 17 pulled up, Reynolds and his crew quickly sized up the chaos: two cars collided head-on, while a third slammed into a guardrail trying to avoid the crash. Firefighters worked fast to secure the scene and rescue the injured.
As Reynolds neared one overturned vehicle, his heart stopped. Hanging from the rearview mirror was a silver heart pendant—the anniversary gift he’d given his wife, Lisa.
“I just froze,” Reynolds recalled, voice trembling. “I kept telling myself, It can’t be her. But then I saw her hand, and I knew.”