First responders NJ. I caught the child who was thrown from the burning apartment complex – Henry Club

South Brunswick, New Jersey (WABC) – A father knocked his 3-year-old son down a second-floor window for first responders after a fire broke out in an apartment complex in New Jersey on Monday morning.

A fire broke out at South Ridge Apartment Building 1 on Northumberland Way in South Brunswick just after 8 a.m.

First respondents noticed a man sticking his head and smoke coming out of the window of a second-floor apartment when they initially thought all 25 apartments in the building were empty.

“The fact that he was asleep, and we pushed on those doors,” said Fire Chief Chris Perez. “I mean, we were making a lot of noise.”

The man disappeared as officers shouted from the ground to hurry him, and then he reappeared with the child.

“When he went back in, I didn’t know what he was going back for, and we kind of worry when something like this happens,” Perez said. “So luckily, he’s back with the baby fairly quickly.”

The man lowered his son down the window, feet first, and dropped him into the group, which included officers, fire chiefs, and a construction worker who were nearby.

“It’s a lot, because you’re trying to put yourself in his shoes to think, hey, you’re knocking your baby down,” said Sergeant William Merkler. “I can’t even imagine what was going through his mind.”

Then he first lowered himself from the window head and fell into the group. He left astonished but with minor injuries.

“You can almost hear my voice, like I’m a little disappointed,” said Detective Sergeant John Penny. “Well, we thought the building had been evacuated, and there was someone at the window.”

The fire was brought under control by 11 am

Four people – father, son, a firefighter and a police officer – were all treated modestly.

“What I mean is that we signed up for it,” said Patrolman First Class Ryan Bartunek. “It’s the exciting part of the job, that you want to be able to help people and do the right thing. Luckily we helped save those people.”

The Red Cross is on the scene to help about 50 residents from the 15 families displaced by the fire.

The reason is being investigated.

Read also | Police: Bronx couple murdered roommate after complaining of noise

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