ORLANDO, FLA. (WSVN) - An apartment fire trapped a mother and her child on a third-floor balcony in Orlando, and now the mother is thanking the deputy who saved them.
Footage showed the burning building with a mother calling for help as Orange County deputies tried to help on Saturday, April 23.
Barbara Elemus recalls the moment before her baby’s rescue.
“Everything happened so fast. All you feel is the smoke. Of course, you can’t breathe in a fire,” said Elemus.
She ran to the balcony with her two-year-old daughter, Sophia, looking for an escape. There was none.
“I’m gonna have to jump with my baby and if I do have to jump, how with my baby? Either I burn alive or I jump,” said Elemus
Deputy William Puzynski climbed the balconies to rescue Elemus’s daughter.
He took off his vest and made his way up to the third floor to grab the baby.
“Hold on, hold on, hold on. I’m coming,” said Puzynski.
Puzynski was able to grab the baby and carry her down to safety.
Elemus shared words of gratitude for the deputy’s brave act.
“Without him, me and my daughter might not be here,” said Elemus.
Elemus and her family lost everything in the fire.
If you would like to help, they have a GoFundMe where you can donate.
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