FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) -- Residents in the Dupont Estates Mobile Home park on Fort Wayne's northeast side are still dealing with the aftermath of Monday's storms. Blowing through with 70+ mile per hour winds, leaving a path of destruction behind.
Fort Wayne Firefighters responded to 4333 Brimstone Rd. just before 8 p.m. and found the mobile home on its side up against a neighboring trailer.
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A woman died after her mobile home was flipped on its side Monday night in Fort Wayne. Photo by Caleb Saylor/WFFT
A man in the neighboring trailer escaped unhurt by climbing out of his window.
73-year-old Isabel Atencio and a young boy was inside the mobile home when winds flipped it over.
Isabel’s neighbor Michelle Philo was outside, struggling to get back inside when the strong winds blew through.
"I was like oh please Lord let me in, just let me in," Philo said and she recounted her experience. "Finally I got inside and went to look at my neighbor’s house," and what she saw was something she didn’t expect.
"I seen it was flipped over and I just called 911, and I was telling them hey, there is a woman over there. She is in her trailer. It is flipped over. You need to come help her," Philo said.
Fire crews stopped a gas leak and cleared exposed power lines as they made their way inside the home. After ten minutes they found Isabel under more debris. Clutching, protecting the young child believed to be her grandson.
The boy, alert and conscious was pulled out after another four minutes, in good condition. An unconscious Isabel was taken to the hospital where she died from blunt force injuries due to a weather-related incident, according to the Allen County Coroner.
Neighbor Marsha Pond says she and Isabel were close friends. As Marsha arrived home, she heard the news.
"I come around this way, down this way and I seen my neighbors over here standing out in the street, and they proceeded to tell me that she didn’t make it," Pond said.
According to Pond, she and Isabel spent the day together on Sunday, just chatting away, but now she’s left wondering why this happened.
Still in shock, Pond explained, "I know God has his own plan, but it just seemed cruel that she had to pass away like that."
However, Pond says Isabel died protecting those closest to her, "She loved those boys with all her heart and she would protect them no matter what."
