New Jersey volunteer firefighter, 19, in right place at right time to save man's life

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
New Jersey volunteer firefighter, 19, in right place at right time to save man's life
Toni Yates has more on the heroic volunteer firefighter in West Milford who saved a driver's life.

WEST MILFORD, New Jersey (WABC) -- A volunteer firefighter in New Jersey was in the right place at the right time to save a man's life.

An SUV flipped over and caught on fire on Cahill Cross Road late Saturday night and trapped the driver inside.

Lukas Graf, 19, just so happened to be passing by the scene of the accident -- purely by chance.

Apparently he was going to pick up his sister from a friend's house but accidentally went to the wrong friend's house. That is what brought him to the right place at the right time to save the victim's life.

The Eagle Scout, currently a volunteer firefighter in West Milford, was off-duty at the time and did not have his gear -- but he heard someone yelling for help and jumped into action.

"I dumped the two bottles of water on the car that was on fire and was able to calm it down a little bit," Graf said. "Sure enough the back hatch opened for me so I go in there a little bit, grab his hand and pull him out. We go up to the road and wait for my colleagues from the fire department to show up and take care of the rest."

Graf's mother said she is very proud of her son.

"My husband has taught him to have really intense work ethic so he's very serious, I mean he's still a kid, but he is civic-minded and has always wanted to help," Gail Graf said.

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