Six siblings mourn the loss of brother killed in house fire

By Katherine Garcia

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — David Domayer’s family said they’re devastated after losing him to a house fire early Wednesday morning.

Robyn Bohbot said her brother, 68-year-old Mike Domayer escaped the home. Mike realized his 58-year-old brother David, who lives with him, was trapped inside. Firefighters got David out, but he died of his injuries at the hospital.

“Mike texted us first and said that there was a house fire, and then he didn’t respond to us, so we came out here right away,” Bohbot said. “And then we all came out here, and then on the way to the hospital, we got the call that he had passed away.”

Mike was also transported to the hospital, but he is expected to be okay.

“[It’s] surreal. I just can’t believe it, that either one of my brothers were injured,” Bohbot said.

David was one of seven kids. They all now mourn the loss of their brother.

“We just got to be there for each other, regardless,” Bohbot said.

Robyn said David had three loves: his Harley Davidson motorcycle, animals and his job as a bus driver for Omaha Public Schools. He drove students with special needs to and from school every day for 35 years.

“David, he just had a good heart,” Bohbot said. “Those were the kids that drew close to him and that he enjoyed. I think he just liked kids. He didn’t have any kids of his own, so they were his.”

The siblings gathered to clear out belongings from the house. They uncovered a small treasure from the rubble, a spatula mounted to a wooden plaque. Bohbot said it’s an inside joke within their family. Their mother would bake cookies at Christmas, but the spatula had another use.

“She had that spatula for cookies, but she used it for spanking too,” said Bohbot. “And David was ornery when he was little, so at dinner time it sat next to her plate. So one year for Christmas he had a spatula mounted and it says ‘Thanks, Mom.'”

Robyn said David was at the heart of their big family.

“He was the glue,” Bohbot said. “We always went to David for everything.”

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