Police officers got an assist from a man who helped rescue two young children in Arizona during an apartment complex fire.
It was a Friday morning in Mesa with the fire breaking out at around 11. An officer responded to the call of witnesses and a bodycam showed him throwing rocks to break windows so he could get inside.
And that’s when an unidentified man in a black hoodie jumped over the fence and through the broken window.
He was at a nearby car wash and saw the fire so he jumped into action.
The hooded man jumped on an air condition unit,then ripped out the window’s frame barehanded. Making his way inside inside, he grabbed a 2-year-old girl in a diaper amidst the smoke.
The toddler was crying as he carried her out.
The hooded hero handed the child to an officer who rushed her to the paramedics waiting outside.
“There’s so much smoke in there that if you pass out, it could be deadly, obviously,” Jon Forrest of the Mesa Police Department said. “For that civilian to be so courageous (and) jump up there – he saved two kids’ lives today.”
A second child, reportedly six years old, was rescued by the hooded man. He handed the child to officer Jon Forest who jumped up onto a shed to take the child from the brave man.
“Property and stuff, that can burn, but somebody’s life? We will risk a lot to save. Every other officer I work with, they’d do the same thing. They’d jump up on the shed. They are willing to do what they can to save someone’s life,” he said.
“According to all who were there, it if wasn’t for the citizen who assisted, the outcome of this incident may have been different,” the police said in a statement.
The stranger refused to be identified. All he wanted to do was help.
“Being there, seeing all the chaos, and hearing people screaming, was a very intense situation,” said Officer Brandon Ciprien. “Teamwork gets the job done. You can count on anyone, fire, police, or regular civilians to help you out.”
Rescue teams and emergency responders worked together to extinguish the flames.
“Hats off to the citizen who was back there. He was at the car wash minding his own business, recognized there was a fire back there, jumped the wall, left the car at the car wash and really did an outstanding job today and really saved two kids’ lives,” said Chad Serchen of the Mesa Police Department.
Over 50 police officers and firefighters responded to the call.
The kids were treated for smoke inhalation and are expected to make a full recovery. Four officers with minor injuries were also treated.
Authorities are still investigating the cause. Four apartments were damaged but thankfully, no other injuries were reported. Whoever the hooded man was, he’s a real hero!
Watch the dramatic rescue in the video below!
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