Two young sisters died in a horrific house fire at their vacation home on Long Island, New York.
19-year-old Lindsay Wiener and 21-year-old Jillian Wiener were sleeping peacefully in the upstairs bedroom of their Noyack Bay vacation house when a massive fire erupted at 3.30 am on Wednesday.
The blaze quickly spread throughout the house, leaving the two sisters trapped in their room on the upper floor.
While the girls’ 60-year-old father, attorney Lewis Wiener, managed to get out of the house with his wife after waking up to the sound of breaking glass, he failed to push through the flames to reach his daughters after realizing they were still inside the building.
According to the reports, the $2 million vacation house was already consumed by flames by the time the first responders arrived at the scene.
The local police have confirmed that the three surviving members of the Maryland family were treated for minor injuries after the incident. Sources also confirmed that the lawyer’s son, 23-year-old Zachary, was forced to jump out of a 2nd-story window to escape the blaze.
“The father awakened to the sound of glass breaking and alerted the family to get out. The father and wife escaped the home. When they realized the children hadn’t exited the home, the father attempted to gain entry back in; however, the flames prevented him from gaining access,” Lt. Susan Ralph said.
As of this writing, the cause of the fire remains unknown but doesn’t appear to be the work of foul play.
Meanwhile, fire chief Kevin O’Brien Jr. revealed that the firefighters were unable to enter the burning home due to the extent of the flames.
Following the girls’ passing, it has come to light that Lindsay was a Tulane University student about to enter her sophomore year. She was described as a “bright spirit and a leader, who was also dedicated to service, particularly getting young people involved in politics and generally promoting volunteerism.”
Her older sister, Jillian, was a science student who was about to start her senior year at the University of Michigan. She was an aspiring artist as well as ice hockey and soccer player and a yoga instructor.
“The world has lost two beautiful lights today, and the Washington Hebrew Congregation community is heartbroken,” the family’s synagogue said in a tribute to the two girls.
“Through their leadership and service, acts of kindness, and friendship, the Wiener family – Lewis, Alisa, Zach, Jillian, and Lindsay – has touched so many lives at Washington Hebrew.”
Our thoughts are with Lindsay and Jillian’s family and friends during these painful times.
Recommended Video For You!
Here’s The Truth Behind The Photo Of Firefighters That’s Being Shared All Over Facebook This Week