Bronx, NY – A good Samaritan perched atop a fourth-floor fire escape helped firefighters stage a dramatic rescue of a young boy from a burning Bronx apartment on Wednesday.
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Firefighters from the FDNY’s Ladder 47 raced to 1418 Zerega Ave. in Westchester Square shortly after 4 p.m. and found a fourth-floor apartment ablaze – with two people trapped inside.
The truck’s ladder was raised up to the burning apartment’s window and Firefighter James Senk scampered up it – and bashed his way inside.
Once inside the smoke-filled apartment, Senk found a 4-year-old boy a short distance from the window.
“He goes 10 feet deep into the the room, and pulls the kid out to the window,” a Fire Department source said.
Just outside the window, neighborhood hero Horia Cretan – who had shot up the fire escape when he saw the blaze – waited to make sure the seriously injured boy made it to safety.
The firefighter passed the boy into Cretan’s waiting arms, officials said.
Cretan then bravely carried the child down the fire escape and handed him over to rescue workers.
He said he just reacted instinctively.
“I heard somebody scream; I didn’t know what was happening outside,” he told Fox 5 News.
“I looked up and just couldn’t see nothing – there was too much smoke. I just kicked in – I kicked in gear. … I did the best I could.”
The boy, who was not immediately identified, was in serious but stable condition at Jacobi Medical Center Wednesday night.
An unidentified adult also was rescued from the apartment and was in serious but stable condition at the same hospital Wednesday night, a Fire Department official said.
The blaze, which was brought under control in roughly 40 minutes, was under investigation Wednesday night, the official said.
after looking how EMS is doing their job, I am glad ther is a Hatzolah.
nice job good Samaritan, whish there were more like you
The speed (or lack thereof) that the EMS move at borders on criminal negligence. They are at least for our communities a very last resort. I definatly can appreciate Hatzolahs eagerness and speed alot more now.
#2 : what do you know about EMS? what do you claim they did wrong this time?
those were not FDNY EMS personel, and yes someone get them clown hats!
Credit Deserved
in the video from about 1.20 to 1.40 hes doing cpr. then he shouts ”hes okay” like he will make it
Hey, smoke inhalition is extremly dangerous and even when consious it could kill him.
Hatzala comes faster cuz we are family, i am sure ems would move fast if the call involved their family, yidn are one mishpocho and it shows!!!
he was certainly exposed to smoke inhalation, it took EMS way too long to give the boy oxygen
You dont need 20 people grabbing the stretcher running like maniacs for the cameras. They assessed him, reassured him, put O2 on, and calmly placed him in the ambulance for further assessment and a trip to the hospital. Better that the child is calm, relaxed, and reassured as this will facilate air into his lungs way better then rushing him away as if he is about to die c’v. Except that they maybe should have covered him a bit better, they did a real professional job.
why a good samaritan?
oh.. cuz the new bible (Ch”v) says that along came a good samaritan. .
the whole stroy is false, its only to put shame on the Jews, the Samaritans (now around 700 People living on Har Grizim. . ) were our enemies, Ezra didnt let them build the Beis Hamikdash. .
By the way, the Samaritans were our Enemies from Ezrah Hasofers times, and they have the Torah (with some very very minor variations) and sefer Yeshua, (which is a tottal mish mash). that is a answer to those who claim that Ezrah wrote the sefer torah, since they would never would have accepted it from Ezrah. .
The firemen risked his life to let him die on the fire escape? it took from :34 to 2:34 someone should come to help this guy on the fire escape and another 2 minutes to put the child on oxygen Wow wow
If this good samaritan would be a Yid;, we would say “Mi K’amcho Yisroel”.
We would say, ‘Only Yidden have a Yiddishe Hartz’.
Whether EMS acted within protocol is not for laymen to decide, all I can say is “Thank Hashem that we are blessed with organizations like Hatzolah, Shomrim and other beautiful Chesed organizations”. Don’t take it for granted!!!
Everyone thinks they are experts. There was nothing wrong with how EMS treated that child. When the child was placed on the stretcher he was clearly awake and responsive. No need to make it dramatic for the cameras. Hatzolah would have done the same thing, maybe a little bit quicker. Just because they aren’t running around in a panic doesnt mean they aren’t doing their job.
Anyone who has any experience in emergency care (which I would guess most of the hamoin am here don’t) knows that at a fire scene, or any dangerous environment, you park the bus at a safe distance from the scene. The EMS personnel acted very professionally, the child was awake and responsive, they started an IV line and administered O2 in a perfectly timely manner. There are plenty of Hatzooleh mentchen who just run around like yotzmechs, who are more interested in looking cool with their lights and keys and belt zachen then helping. I think Hatzalah is a terrific organization, but I know for a fact that there are members who paid others to take their exams, and a relative of mine who worked as an EMT and an ER nurse years ago always told me that many Hatzalah guys didn’t know what the heck they were doing. Anyway, Hatzalah is a great organization and you don’t need to bash FDNY to make Hatzalah look good! They both do phenomenal work.