Firefighters on the roof after rescue

On Thursday morning, December 23, 2010, a fire broke out on the second floor of The Merion Inn, injuring Erik Watson and causing extensive damage to the second and third floors. Erik was evacuated through a second floor window by the Cape May Fire Department and airlifted to the Temple Burn Center in Philadelphia. Pianist George Mesterhazy and Erik’s sister, owner Vicki Watson, were rescued from the roof outside the third floor window. Firefighters went into the burning building and rescued their two dogs and one of their cats. The other two cats emerged from their hiding places after the fire had been quelled, covered with soot and coughing but otherwise okay!

ALL THREE INHABITANTS AND THEIR FIVE PETS WERE RESCUED AND THE HISTORIC PROPERTY WAS SAVED THANKS TO GOD'S GRACE AND THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND AMAZING TEAM EFFORT OF THE CAPE MAY FIRE DEPARTMENT, CAPE MAY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, CAPE MAY FIRE POLICE, CAPE MAY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF WEST CAPE MAY, CAPE MAY POINT, TOWN BANK, THE VILLAS, ERMA AND THE U. S. COAST GUARD.

Fortunately, the restaurant, kitchen and bar located on the first floor were untouched other than the ceiling in one of the dining rooms, which sustained minor water damage. Patterson Electric, Valdo's Cooling and Heating, local contractors, officials from the City of Cape May and Cape May County Health Department, Atlantic City Electric, Gregg Coffey and Norm LaBounty of National Associates, and our fabulous Merion Inn staff, family and friends pitched in over the Christmas holiday weekend to ensure that the restaurant could reopen on December 28, 2010 for the balance of the 2010 holiday season. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts, and are so grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support from

our customers and community.

Crew "rocking" ceiling in Red Room

Update

Erik - After receiving excellent care at Temple Burn Center for over a month, Erik was transferred to the Betty Bacharach Center in Pomona, NJ for a few weeks of in-patient physical rehab and treatment for his burns. He is now grateful to be back in Cape May and well on the road to recovery.

George – George has been performing with singer Paula West at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco during their annual extended winter run. While in San Francisco, George recorded “After the Fire”, a new CD of tunes he played at The Merion Inn on those nights just after the fire, some with fire-themed titles, and others about gratitude for life and survival. This CD is dedicated to “the firefighters, emergency workers, Merion Inn staff, family and friends that saved our lives, gave us shelter and support and restored The Merion Inn.” For more information about the CD, click here.  To find out how to purchase discount gift certificates and receive a free CD as our thanks, click here. George is looking forward to returning to The Merion Inn when it reopens on March 17, 2011.

Vicki – She has been enjoying the winter with the pets in wonderful surroundings, first in her sister Terri’s beautiful rental property in Cape May, and then in a fabulous pet-friendly vacation home offered by friends Ellen and Mike. (Both properties are highly recommended by Vicki and are available for rental during the season—contact Vicki at merioninn@comcast.net for details!)

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