Earlier this week, a fatal fire that broke out in a Manhattan high-rise apartment building claimed the life of 27-year-old gay newlywed Daniel McClung and left his husband, 32-year-old Michael Cohen, with critical injuries.
A number of videos of the blaze via Instagram and YouTube show that the fire was more or less confined to one single apartment 20 floors below the couple’s residence (the FDNY informed the Daily News that the high-rise was “fire-proof“, meaning it’s unlikely that fire will spread from one apartment to the next) but unfortunately, McClung and Cohen attempted to evade the disaster by walking down the stairwell. According to ABC New York, both men were found in the stairwell, where McClung was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to multiple reports, the couple was married in July and had recently moved into The Strand, a high-rise apartment building in Hell’s Kitchen. A friend of the couple told CBS that McClung was a playwright and fiction writer, “and it’s really disappointing to lose somebody here at that young age.”
Today, a fundraising page on FundAnything has been set up to help Cohen through a potential financial burden after he is released from the hospital. In less than 24 hours, the page has reached nearly half of its $10,000 goal.
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The page was set up on behalf of the International Academy of Web Televisoin:
We pride ourselves on trying to build our community on a foundation of support and while often we spend time celebrating our successes…we are now facing a tragedy that effected one of our own and we again want to offer support.
Michael Todd Cohen and his new husband, Daniel McClung, were trapped during a highrise fire in the building where they lived in Manhattan. Horribly, Daniel did not survive and Michael is in critical condition. He will face many financial burdens because of this and the online community wants to show their support by creating this campaign for him, with all contributions garnered going to help him in his recovery process.
For more information on how to contribute, visit FundAnything.
stanhope
This is a most horrible tragedy. I wish the building had done a better job of making residents aware of what to do in case of a fire. I have to believe that had they known that the apartments were “fire proof” then they would not have attempted to get out. Sad sad sad.
oilburner
I’m. Not. Giving. One. Dime
Or 1 **F**c*u**KK* 2
This. Mess !!!!
Ridpathos
Aid – help and support
Aide – one who provides assistance (usually to politicians)
jonjct
^ missed that one but yeah. what’s with the dressed-up “aide”? editor please.