Hero officers rescue elderly woman trapped in burning home in Millburn
MILLBURN, New Jersey (WABC) -- Officers with the Millburn Police Department jumped into action to help save an 83-year-old woman who was trapped inside a home on fire.
It happened Sunday just before 3 a.m. at a home at 18 Old Short Hills Road.
A driver passing by called police and when they arrived to the home, officers found two residents, a mother and daughter, safely got out on their own, but were told the elderly woman was still trapped inside as flames engulfed the home.
Despite the overwhelming smoke and heat, one of the responding officers crawled through the back of the home to find the woman.
"She was laying down and it was more of a groan because she was in an out of consciousness, because the heavy smoke, we had to get low and I crawled about eight to 10 feet to find her and we pulled her to the back door," said Officer Thomas Sweeney.
Sweeney has been on the force for four months and is 24 years old. With the help of two other officers -- Officer David Frisch and Officer Steve Nacim -- they carried the woman to safety and administered first aid.
She and the two other residents were taken to the hospital. The 83-year-old was burned and suffered smoke inhalation, according to a neighbor who went to visit her.
The entire rescue happened in 60 seconds.
"Officer Sweeny's, Officer Nacim's, and Officer Frisch's actions exemplify the dedication and courage of our police department," said Chief Gilfedder. "Their swift response and determination saved a life today, and we commend them for their bravery."
The officers said it is all surreal, but they were just doing their jobs at the end of the day.
The Millburn Fire Department arrived shortly after and worked to extinguish the fire. A car in the driveway was also fully engulfed in flames and the home next door had also caught fire.
One firefighter suffered a medical condition and one police officer suffered smoke inhalation. They were both taken to a local hospital.
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