THE community mourns the loss of Ryan Shaw, a cherished figure whose life was tragically cut short in a fire that erupted in the garage of his home on January 17.
Condolences and support poured in for Shaw, who had dedicated numerous years to serving the community. Reflecting on that fateful day, Marelle Shaw, Ryan’s wife, recounted receiving a call from him regarding their car making an unfamiliar noise.
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“He had called me while I was at work and told me about the car breaking down on Tara Road and that someone had managed to tow him back home. Ryan said he found water in the petrol tank and that he was going to try and sort it out. That was the last I heard from him before the news of the fire breaking out,” said Marelle.
According to Lerease Wyngaard, the landlord and only her aunt and children were at home during the incident. The children, in the lounge, alerted everyone that there was a fire.
Wyngaard’s aunt, upstairs at the time, rushed down to assist in evacuating the house. She noted that no one was with Ryan just before the fire broke out, and the cause remains unknown.
Brian Shaw, Ryan’s father, vividly recalled the heartbreaking scene that day. A neighbour barged into his house, informing him that Ryan was severely injured. Brian rushed outside to witness smoke engulfing the house, with Ryan’s car ablaze.
“It was hard to see anything between the flames and smoke. I kept calling out for Ryan, and then I saw what no parent should ever see — Ryan walking out of the smoke with severe burns covering his entire body and his skin peeling off. I was in disbelief, but all I could think about in that moment was rushing him to the hospital,” shared Brian.
Despite efforts, Ryan succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. He leaves behind his devoted wife and two children, Micah (six) and Malachi (nine). Brian said that he would never be able to leave such a great legacy to his sons, while Marelle described Ryan as not only a loving husband and father but also a mentor, friend and source of inspiration for many in the community.
“Ryan was a young community activist who served in the Change Our Behaviour To Unite workforce organisation and was never really one to be in the forefront, but he helped people and tried his best to assist where he could. He was not able to be on the ground and doing the work all the time, but when he could, you would always see him. He was also an active member on the community social platforms, trying to bring awareness to the good in the area,” said Celeste King, a community activist.
As the community mourns the loss of this remarkable individual, his impact will be remembered through the positive changes he brought about.
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