Anush Shetty
7th September, 2020
Firefighter trying to rescue the woman from the apartment which caught on fire (Source: CBS News)
A woman who tried to escape the fire by clinging to the outside of a window of her 16th-floor apartment was rescued by a firefighter, according to NBC news. A video shared by the New York City Fire Department (NYFD) showed how the brave firefighter was lowered with a rope to come to and rescue the woman. The incident took place in Harlem on Tuesday.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro mentioned in a Facebook post that the action of the firefighter was a heroic rescue. The firefighter showed courage, talent and bravery, making the members of the NYFD proud. He also mentioned how rare that incident was. Nonetheless, it was handled in a great way. A witness, Kyra Walker, told WCBS “He was like Spider-Man, Superman, coming out that window, encasing her body to make her feel safe”.
The reports by People Magazine assume that when the smoke became too much for the lady to breathe in, she went to the window ledge and clung to it until the firefighter came to her rescue. Quinn, who was on the floor above her, told NBC that he tried throwing the rope towards her and asked her not to jump. He also assured her that they would get help.
The lady clinging to the window was repeatedly announcing that she was afraid and the officers decided that the best course of action was to descend to her. Thus, the firefighter came down the rope from the 17th-floor and asked her to remain calm. He held onto the wall on the inner side of the window and with his other hand, he held the lady from her waist. After the smoke subsided, they went inside and completed a successful rescue.
The woman was taken to the hospital and was treated for the damage caused to her lungs due to excessive smoke inhalation. The reason for the fire is still unknown. The last time a similar incident occurred was in 2016.
(Source: People Magazine, NBC News, WCBS)
Edited by Swikruti Kar