PORTLAND, Ore. — Three people died and a 9-month-old baby was injured after a tree branch brought down a power line in their neighborhood in Northeast Portland on Wednesday morning.
Fire crews responded shortly before noon to Northeast Siskiyou Street near 122nd Avenue to a call of a live power line that had fallen onto a vehicle. When crews arrived on scene, they found three bodies on the ground. It's believed they died after they exited their SUV, slid on the icy street, made contact with the live power line and were charged with electricity, family members said.
Ronald Briggs lost his 21-year-old daughter and his 15-year-old son. Her daughter's boyfriend, Nash, the father of the baby, also died.
"I have six kids, I lost two of them in one day," said Briggs.
He and his wife were getting into their car to go to the store when they heard a loud sound.
"We heard a loud boom. And my wife’s like, 'Oh my god, their car is on fire,'" he said.
Once the power line fell on the car, everyone scrambled outside on the ice, he said.
"They were walking up the hill and they slid back down," he said. "My daughter tried to grab her boyfriend, her baby's dad with the baby, and his foot touched the wire."
Briggs said they were charged with electricity.
"My son, my 15-year-old son, tried to go down and I told him, 'Don’t go down there — try to get away from them.' And he slid, and he touched the water, and he, and he died too," said Briggs.
Milwaukie High School said Ta'Ron Briggs was a sophomore at their school. Ronald's daughter, the mother of the surviving baby, was six months pregnant at the time, he said.
"It just hurts. Seeing my kids dying — I can’t do nothing about it," said Briggs.
The 9-month-old, Nymir, was taken to the hospital to be evaluated and is in good condition.
"His dad saved his life — he laid on top of his dad," Briggs said.
A neighbor, 18-year-old Majiah Washington, jumped in to help Briggs grab the baby, who was still in his father's arms.
"In my mind, I’m just thinking 'I have to get this baby.' That’s the only thing I was thinking: 'I have to get this baby,'" said Washington.
PHOTOS: Power lines fall on car
Washington spoke with the media at a press conference hosted by Portland Fire & Rescue on Thursday, describing how she managed to rescue the baby in spite of the risk posed by the power line.
"I slid down there. I kind of fell on the dad a little bit, my hands touched him," she recalled. "I just grabbed the baby and pushed myself off and made my way back up the hill even though it was slippery. I had him, he was alert, I was happy about that."
Rick Graves, public information officer for PF&R, described Washington as a hero in his introduction.
"We do have, fortunately, with us a toddler that is going to be able to thrive," Graves said. "And they are here in part because of the heroic acts of a member of our community."
Washington said she works in a daycare, and has always had a place in her heart for children.
"I have a lot of sympathy for children, I love children," she said.
"We need more Majiah Washington's out there," added Graves.
A family friend told KGW on Thursday that the 9-month-old child is doing well, and will be discharged from the hospital at some point in the day.
At least 10 people have died as a result of winter weather conditions in the Portland metro area since Friday. Multnomah County has reported four deaths believed to be from hypothermia, and Washington County said that a Tigard resident's death is also being investigated as hypothermia-related.
On Saturday, a tree fell on an RV parked in a Southeast Portland neighborhood, taking down power lines and sparking a fire. One person died and other was injured.
In Lake Oswego, a person died after a tree fell on a house in the Southwood area due to high winds on Saturday morning. The tree crashed through the second floor, killing an elderly man, confirmed Lake Oswego Fire Marshal Gert Zoutendijk.
Fire investigators are also looking into whether a generator played a role in the deaths of two women during a fire at a Northeast Portland church early Sunday morning.
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