Catalina K. Meyer died after saving Ketevan Alexi-Meskhishvili and attempting to rescue Zahra Lahrizi from burning, New York, New York, December 17, 1997. Houseguests Ms. Alexi-Meskhishvili, 18, and Ms. Lahrizi, 48, were on the fourth and fifth floors, respectively, of a five-story townhouse when, at night, fire broke out on the third floor and spread to the upper floors. Ms. Meyer, 60, retired stockbroker, and her husband, owners of the house, were asleep on the third floor when they awakened to the blaze. Ms. Meyer reported the fire but did not then flee the burning structure. She was heard on the fourth floor, by Ms. Alexi-Meskhishvili, screaming of the fire; the screams had awakened Ms. Alexi-Meskhishvili, enabling her to flee by way of a fire escape. With flame conditions rapidly escalating, Ms. Meyer and Ms. Lahrizi were seen falling from a fourth-floor window. Badly burned, they incurred fatal injury. Ms. Alexi-Meskhishvili sustained smoke inhalation, from which she recovered. Ms. Meyer’s husband and others in the house escaped to safety.
72319 – 8246
72319-8246