Hero's Tribute at
Liberty Baptist Church

Picture and Article From Local Newspaper

  BLANCHARD — Vinnie Mauck was given a hero’s tribute Sunday morning at the Liberty Baptist Church.

Mauck is credited with saving the lives of Bob and Joyce Beaty who were sound asleep when Vinnie discovered their home engulfed in flames and pounded on the door to awaken them.

 The April 2 fire also destroyed Bob’s barbershop, which was connected to the home at 157 Beach St.
 
 “I’m just happy they’re alive,” Mauck said, refusing to call himself a hero.
 
 The 18-year-old from 263 Wynn Ave., Beech Creek, received plaques from Beech Creek/Blanchard Fire Co.; state Sen. Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte; and church deacons during Sunday’s worship services. Bob Beaty is a deacon at the church, and Joyce is the church’s missions treasurer.
 
 Fellow deacon, Dave Orr, also a member of the fire company, presented Mauck with a frame containing newspaper clippings of the fire.
 
 “I know God was watching over not only Vinnie, but Bob and Joyce that morning,” Orr said. “They are still needed to do work on this earth.”
 
 Sean Kleckner, assistant fire chief at the Beech Creek/Blanchard Fire Co., said Mauck’s efforts prevented a bigger disaster.
 
 “As fast as the fire was growing that day, there’s no doubt in my mind if Vinnie wasn’t able to get the Beatys out in the time he did, things could have been much worse,” Kleckner said. “I just want to say thank you. It was certainly courageous.”
 
 Orr said fighting the fire was especially rough for him because he knows Bob and Joyce so well, and because Bob is a member of the fire department.
 
 “On behalf of the Beech Creek/Blanchard volunteers, we can’t say thank you enough,” Orr told Mauck. “Not only did you save Bob and Joyce, you saved two outstanding people in our community ... Bob and Joyce are special people. They’re always helping with fundraisers for many organizations they don’t even belong to.
 
 “You didn’t just save two lives, but you may have prevented one of us from injury or even death,” he continued. “Vinnie, we thank God for using you that morning and keeping you safe as well.”
 
 Corman said honoring residents like Mauck is one of the best parts of his job. He then read a citation passed by the state Senate earlier this month.
 
 “From his great efforts, he successfully saved lives and the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania proudly notes that Vinnie Mauck showed great courage and instinct with his valiant actions that will long be remembered and appreciated.”
 
 Rev. Stan Johnson’s sermon also centered around Mauck’s actions that morning, entitled “Risking life itself.”
 
 Johnson said he believes it was the Holy Spirit who directed Mauck to drive along Beach Street that morning, instead of his normal drive home.
 
 “The Holy Spirit leads people in doing great things for the Lord. God used Vinnie to risk death to save two lives. God trained Vinnie to be a hero,” he said.
 
 After the service, Bob and Joyce Beaty again thanked Mauck, a Lock Haven University student and a sound and video technician at the Beech Creek Wesleyan Church.
 
 “If it wouldn’t be for him, we wouldn’t be here today,” Joyce said.
 
 Bob said Mauck used great instincts that morning.
 
 “He knew exactly what he was doing,” Bob said. “He stopped his car, blew his horn, went to the next door neighbors and asked them to call 9-1-1. Then he came in and got us up. It took quite awhile to get me awake.”
 
 Mauck, however, said he was only doing what any other person would have done that morning.
 
 He said he had worked the previous night at the Bryce Jordan Center on the Penn State University campus for a Breaking Benjamin concert and arrived at a friend’s house at around 2:30 a.m. He said he stayed there until about 5 a.m., when he started home.
 
 “I came home on the back road and for some reason I couldn’t see the road in front of me and... then I saw the flames,” he said. “I called for them for about two minutes to see if anybody was awake and nobody was awake. I ran to the neighbor’s house and had her call 9-1-1.
 
 “There was no hesitation,” he said. “There was nobody around, so I knew I had to do something.”
 
 Mauck said Sunday’s ceremony “blows my mind.”
 
 “It is an honor... I’m just speechless,” he said. “I’m just happy they’re alive. That’s the main thing.”
 
 The Beatys said they are living in a bed and breakfast in Marsh Creek. They have ordered a new house, which should be on the lot of their old house in about four to five weeks. Bob’s barbershop, meanwhile, will be moved to Beech Creek, they said.
 
 The church announced on Sunday its volleyball league has cancelled games scheduled for this Thursday. Instead, the league will hose a “New Beginnings” shower for Bob and Joyce that day, starting at 6 p.m. The event will be open to the community.
 
 Anyone interested in helping is asked to contact Bobbie Miller.

American Baptist Churches of Pennsylvania and Delaware
106 Revere Lane, Coatesville, PA  19320