BOSTON (WHDH) - An iconic image was taken moments after the blasts at the marathon finish line of 23-year-old Victoria McGrath being carried to safety.
She was severely wounded when the first bomb went off, just five feet from where she was standing.
For Jimmy Plourde, the firefighter that saved her, McGrath became more than just a rescue.
“She became an integral part of my family, my kids miss her, my family, she was at birthday parties,” said Plourde. “Just anything and everything, Victoria was a part of my life,” he added.
Three years later, McGrath was killed in a car crash involving a drunk driver in Dubai.
Plourde partnered with the Where Angels Play Foundation to build the “Victoria McGrath Memorial Playground” in Dorchester.
McGrath loved volunteering and helping children; her parents say this is a fitting way to remember her.
“A lot of us are still grieving, and we miss her so much, so people are getting a chance to contribute and do something positive in her name, in her memory, her honor,” said her father. “It’s a really good thing” he added.
Two tragic accidents and a life lost too soon, but family and friends are confident McGrath’s spirit will live on.
“I often tell Jimmy he saved Victoria in the marathon, and he saved us in getting us through this and with having events like this to look forward to,” said McGrath’s mother.
To donate visit VictoriasPlayground.org.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)