Off-duty FDNY firefighter saves man from burning car: ‘Ingrained into you that you help’
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11)— An off-duty FDNY member rushed into action to save a man from a car that later burst into flames on the Brooklyn highway Saturday morning, according to a post on the FDNY’s official Instagram page.
The firefighter was driving and approaching the Bay Parkway exit when they noticed a cloud of dust. The post read that two cars had been in an accident, and one of the vehicles was on fire.
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The FDNY member, identified as Lt. Rich Cannon from Brooklyn’s Ladder 148, pulled over and called the Brooklyn Fire Dispatch. The fire began to grow, and Cannon sprang into action.
“As first responders, it is ingrained into you that you help on or off-duty,” a statement from Cannon’s firsthand account read. “Whether it was another off-duty Firefighter, EMT, Paramedic, or Police Officer, I’m sure they all would have done that same thing to help save this person’s life.”
Cannon was able to help one of the victims, who was located in the front seat. The door, which was heavily damaged, was unable to open, so he had to go around to the passenger side to unbuckle the seatbelt and begin to pull the male victim out.
Lt. Cannon was able to free the victim before his car was fully engulfed in flames, according to the post.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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