Landscape worker called hero for saving elderly couple from fire

A man is hailed a hero for rushing into a burning home and getting a couple and their dog out.

Marcus May happened to be doing work in the Vanderbilt County Club neighborhood on Thursday. He knew there was an elderly couple inside from routine visits.

May said when he saw flames, instinct took over.

“I just think anybody in that position would have done the same thing,” said May, Naples branch manager for Mainscape Landscaping.

When firefighters arrived they knew someone saved the couple but didn’t know who.

May said he was working when he heard explosions at around 8 a.m. He looked and saw the garage was up in flames.

He got into the house through the back door.

“They were in there just kind of disoriented, we open the door and got them out,” May said. “And still, they were just shocked, as you can imagine, and took them a little while to get around the house. They were just kind of looking at everything and kind of thinking, I think kind of all the memories and heirlooms flashed before their eyes as they knew it was going on.”

Once he got them to safety, he went back to the house to save their dog.

May is well known in the neighborhood for his work and now for his bravery.

“He’s a person that you would know that he would go in and help someone regardless of the situation,” said Colleen Volk, branch coordinator for Mainscape Landscape Maintenance Services.

May said one other person helped him but he is not sure who they are. The flames quickly spread from the garage to the attic and eventually through the house.

Greater Naples Fire said an electrical problem caused the fire.