A Florida man found himself at the heart of a blazing inferno, only to be rescued by quick-acting Orange County deputies who raced against flames to pull him from his burning vehicle. The flames grew so intense that the heat caused his dashboard to melt onto him, trapping him inside the searing blaze. After a months-long recovery journey, he finally had the chance to express his gratitude to the heroes who saved his life.
The incident unfolded back in February when a car erupted into flames following a severe crash in Orange County. Newly released video footage from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office captured Brandon Dookharan’s terrifying predicament—trapped inside as flames engulfed the vehicle, growing larger and more ferocious by the second.
Orange County deputies were the first to arrive on the scene as they assessed the dire situation. Deputy Francisco Santos Melo recounted the intensity of the fire, saying it was overwhelming.
“You can see half of his body in the fire,” he said.
Deputy Thorsen Then said he saw the dashboard melting and noticed the fire getting bigger.
“I was over about half a block away when the call came out for a motor vehicle crash,” said Deputy Ryan Jasieki.
Despite their best efforts, the deputies struggled to free the man due to the lack of sufficient fire extinguishing equipment, but their endeavor did not go unnoticed. As they worked to untether the man from the burning car, local firefighters arrived on the scene in the nick of time as they were able to pry the victim from the burning wreckage.
“Once they got there, they were quick to get the hoses out,” said Deputy Kary Gatzey.
Battalion Chief Geoffrey Leavens said all the deputies were working hard to help Dookharan out of the burning car.
The ordeal took a toll on Dookharan who endured 89 days of hospitalization and underwent over a dozen surgeries to recover from the third-degree burns covering 40 percent of his body.
“I didn’t know he would survive his injuries,” admitted Leavens, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Despite the challenges he faced during his recovery, Brandon was finally released from the hospital.
With a heart full of gratitude, he seized the opportunity to express his appreciation to the deputies and firefighters who risked their lives to save him.
“I went through a lot, but I’m here,” said Dookharan. “I’m only 23 and I’m still able to see many, many years.”
As he looks forward to many more years ahead, Brandon’s resilience and the selfless actions of his heroes serve as an inspiration to all.
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