Tampa family mourns loss of tourist killed in Bangkok fire

Tampa man killed in Thailand hotel fire

FOX 13's Evan Axelbank speaks with the family of Timothy Freeman, a Tampa native who died on Dec. 30th while staying at a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

TAMPA, Fla. - For one Tampa family, the start of the new year brought devastating news.

Their loved one was killed in an accident in Thailand.

Timothy Freeman riding a camel.

Timothy Freeman was living his dream, and his family in Tampa was proud of him.

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"Tim did not wait," his Aunt, Aubrette Johnson, said. "If he set his mind to do something, he did it."

That includes living in China as an English teacher, starting his own businesses there, learning Mandarin, and helping teach Western concepts to other ambitious people.

"(He was) a smart, intelligent person, like a person beyond their years," said Johnson. "He always was like that. Ever since he was a kid."

He traveled from Guangzhou to Thailand to celebrate New Year’s.

Before the big night, on Dec. 30, a fire started in the room above him at his hotel in Bangkok. He died before making it to a hospital.

Fire damage to the Bangkok hotel that Freeman died in.

Fire damage to the Bangkok hotel in which Freeman died.

"I was just trying to hold out hope that somehow they made a mistake and that he would call us and say, 'hey, the hotel caught on fire. But I'm OK,'" said Johnson.

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Three people lost their lives in the fire, including a 24-year-old from Brazil who had just gotten engaged and a 27-year-old from Ukraine.

It's still under investigation to see whether it was an accident or if foul play was involved.

"You can't sit there and say, well, what if we didn't go?" said Johnson. "You can't get caught up in the what-ifs."

Image of Timothy Freeman.

Freeman’s family says they are speaking out to share his story of adventure, perseverance, and ingenuity.

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Born in Connecticut, Freeman moved to Tampa as a child and graduated from Tampa Bay Tech and then Howard University, and he ended up losing his life when he was most home: on an adventure, seeing the world.

"Live your life to the fullest," said Johnson. "Do what it is that you want to do in your heart. And don't wait."

Freeman leaves behind his mother and sister, who is the one who got the call from the American embassy that something had happened.

His family is working to get his body returned from overseas.

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