ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) – Olympic gold medal swimmer Gary Hall Jr. is staying with family in the North County, after his home burned in the Palisades Fire.
“The amount of people sending condolences is really touching. Thank you so much,” said Gary Hall Jr.
From his sister’s home in Encinitas, Olympic swimming great, Hall sat down with me and recounted those frantic moments late Tuesday morning.
Before the Palisades Fire erupted into an inferno, Hall was looking out the back of his rented home in Pacific Palisades and saw a plume of smoke less than a mile away. Minutes later, the scene had changed dramatically.
“Visible flames. Houses on fire at the top of the hill. Explosions. The cars, I don’t know,” said Hall. “With how fast the wind was blowing, and the plume blowing right over my roof, I knew I didn’t have much time.”
Hall, an Olympic champion swimmer, boasting 10 Olympic medals, five of them gold, says the calm that helped guide him as a competitor would now help him act quickly.
“I can find clarity in chaos. I’ve always been that way,” said Hall.
A diabetic, he grabbed his insulin, along with his dog, and two other items, including a painting of his late grandfather.
He would also retrieve a religious artifact, which his family purchased at a Vatican store, before passing it onto his daughter.
“I have 10 Olympic medals. They were in the bedroom in the far side of the house. I considered it, I definitely considered it. I worked my entire life for those medals. Did I have time to go into the closet? The answer was ‘No’,” said Hall.
As he left, there was an ominous reminder of the imminent threat.
“Embers are raining on me when I got into the car,” said Hall.
Hall would eventually meet up with his girlfriend, both of them ending up with Hall’s family in the North County. He learned from fire crews, the home was lost.
When asked the toughest part of losing his medals, Hall answered, “I really wanted to leave it to my kids.”
The fire also claimed Hall’s livelihood. He owns a business and used his pool to give swimming lessons. Many of his clients lived in the area.
“What hits the hardest is the families. I knew so many families and kids. Every one of them has lost everything. I think of them, and it’s tough,” said Hall.
Hall did have renters insurance but had a low coverage limit.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help him with living expenses.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.