Firefighters Rescue Man from Fire

Firefighter Sean Connolly describes the rescue with Chief Joseph Omeste (left) and Lt. Edward Gonzalez (right).

Firefighters on Coney Island ran past flames to rescue a man trapped in an apartment fire on May 25.

"There were heavy black smoke and dangerous fire conditions, but they were able to rescue the man quickly," said Battalion Chief Joseph Omeste. "They did a great job."

Firefighters received a call at 6:47 a.m. for a fire on Bayview Avenue.

When the members of Ladder 161 – including Lt. Edward Gonzalez, and Firefighters Anthony Petrarca, Thomas Dolan, John Bruen, Sean Connolly and Robert Rachoi – arrived on scene, they said they did not see any smoke coming out the windows, but once they arrived at the fire apartment, they found arduous conditions.

The fire was in the living room, between the kitchen and the back bedrooms. The windows had trapped all the heat and smoke in the apartment and it was nearly impossible to see.

Lt. Gonzalez and Firefighters Connolly and Rachoi crawled on their hands and knees past the living room and into the rear of the apartment where there were three bedrooms.

Lt. Gonzalez and Firefighter Rachoi went to the left and Firefighter Connolly went to the right.

Firefighter Connolly said the door was partially open and he located the victim about halfway into the room. The 23-year-old man was conscious, but panicked and mumbling.

Knowing they could not exit the apartment the same way they entered because, as Lt. Gonzalez said, "the smoke was to the floor and the fire was raging." So the firefighters opened up the window.

Firefighter Bruen moved the bucket of the tower ladder to the window and lowered them to safety. He was transported to Coney Island Hospital with smoke inhalation.

The fire was under control by 7:26 a.m. Fire marshals are investigating the cause.