Woman who waited 4 hours for rescue from condo fire dies

An 81-year-old retired librarian, who had been trapped in her Marco Polo condo on the 32nd floor during the July 14 inferno, died 20 days later.

Marilyn Van Gieson, who lived in Unit 3216, six floors above the ignition point, waited four hours in her apartment for firefighters to carry her down, said her son, Michael.

Van Gieson was immediately taken to Straub Medical Center, where she remained until her death Aug. 3, her neighbor Ann Wright said.

Michael Van Gieson said his mother had lung problems before the fire and was exposed to four hours of smoke that day.

He said smoke inhalation likely played a part in her death, but he did not have the official cause of death at the time of a brief initial call with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Van Gieson said his mother would have lived another two to three years had it not been for the fire.

He canceled an interview Friday after a relative, who is a lawyer, advised against it.

Wright said Marilyn Van Gieson, who had compromised breathing from lung cancer and had pneumonia earlier in the year, sat in a kitchen chair near the front door until firefighters arrived.

“She was unable to walk downstairs by herself, so she had to wait for firemen to come get her,” Wright said. “The smoke coming from the intense fire several stories below must’ve been so frightening for her, knowing that she could not escape the fire herself and that her breathing was already so compromised.”

Wright, who spoke to Michael Van Gieson, said he was at work at the time but “arrived downstairs and had to watch the fire while his mom was upstairs.”

“He kept in touch with her by phone, giving her hope that as soon as the smoke cleared through the stairwells, the firemen and police would come up … rescue her and carry her down.”

Wright, who had been on a trip at the time, said Marilyn Van Gieson lived in the building for 44 years.

Van Gieson, born in Madison, Wis., moved to Maui in the early 1970s. She then moved to Oahu with her family and worked in many libraries around Oahu, retiring from the state library system, Wright said.

Three other residents who died on the day of the fire lived in condos on the 26th floor, where the fire started. More than 30 of the 80 units damaged were considered a total loss. No cause has been released by the Honolulu Fire Department.

“Multiple occupants were trapped by the smoke and flames,” HFD said in an Aug. 1 news release. “Many were instructed to shelter in place until firefighters could escort them to safety.”

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office said it did not investigate Van Gieson’s death.

Van Gieson was an active member of her church for many decades, the Rev. Cheol Kwak of Harris United Methodist Church said. She co-authored “Harris United Methodist Church: A Century of Growth: 1888-1988,” published in 1988.

“She has been a very faithful member, especially in the multimedia area of ministry,” Kwak said. She teamed up with her husband, Frank, now deceased, who “was heavily interested in the multimedia ministry that makes the environment of worship more communicable and articulate.”

Wright said she was beloved by all who knew her.

HFD Capt. David Jenkins said he was unaware of Van Gieson’s situation and could not comment directly on it.

“Our hearts go out to anyone who loses a loved one in any case, whether or not it’s related to the fire,” he said.

He could not comment on conditions within the building, saying that is part of the investigation. Results of that investigation will be released when he is able to and when it is appropriate, he said.

In general, Jenkins said, firefighters followed evacuation procedures as appropriately and quickly as possible, and followed its priorities on who to evacuate first.

Those in harm’s way, on floors 26, 27 and 28, where there were flames, smoke and people who were on balconies in urgent need of evacuation, were given first consideration, Jenkins said. Consideration is made to those who can’t walk.

“We made every effort to get to the people who needed assistance, and prioritized them as best as we could,” he said. Manpower, resources and safety of people, getting them out as quickly and safely as possible, are all considered.