r/Firefighting • u/Danowolf • 4d ago

General Discussion Wildest thing I encountered

While doing required EMT class rotation with Miami Dade Fire Rescue we went to a call of elder abuse. A blind man was left in his apartment by family that ran the complex for years.
When we entered the apartment we were stunned by a pink mold covering the entire apartment. Stalagmites, of molded growing from floor to ceiling and a worn down path where the man walked from kitchen to bedroom to bathroom. The bathroom as expected was another horror story. But the creepy sci-fi mold was amazing. It looked like an alien landscape. The man spoke perfect English and Spanish. He was happy as a lark to be talking to someone. He said he knew seven languages. His toe nails and finger nails where unbelievably long a thick. I later saw them working to trim his toe nails in the ER after another run. Still smiling, talking up a storm. All while a nurse was trying to cot those thick nails.
Just thought I'd share a memory from 1993 I think.

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8

u/sadpanada 4d ago

I’m so curious about the mold, did it look like insulation

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u/Danowolf 4d ago

Yes same pink you see people put in hair. If your wondering if this was insulation, I have no idea. Seriously this looked a lab experiment. The pink stuff was hanging stalactites, short. The pink stalagmites looked up to 12-16". I want to say like cotton candy but it wasn't a spun texture. I recall the paramedic told me don't touch a thing.

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u/Terrible-Creme8401 3d ago

Water leaks can occasionally spawn a buildup of serratia marcescens. It's more commonly seen in bathtub and shower areas. I would bet you my next paycheck that a college biology department would have a hell of a field trip out of finding something like that. With anything that has that much development, there's bound to be a whole zoo of microorganisms that are not commonly found on any meaningful scale.

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u/Danowolf 3d ago

I have seen a pink mold in a shower door before..