Harrowing video shows the moment an 8-year-old New Jersey boy miraculously jumped into the arms of a police officer from a second-floor window as fire quickly engulfed his home.
Fire was spewing out of the first-floor windows of the Asbury Park home when first responders arrived on scene at around 8:45 a.m. on Monday, the Asbury Park Police Department told NJ.com.
Officers John Walsh and Dewitt Bacon were at the scene when emergency workers realized that residents were still inside as flames rapidly devoured the home.
Dramatic bodycam footage from one of the officers showed the duo, alongside local resident Joseph Dunbar, rushing to the side of the home when a child screamed out for help.
The officers urgently realized the boy was trapped on the second floor and that time was of the essence.
The boy struggled to open the window and was ordered by Walsh to just “push it out.”
After finally getting through the screen, the frightened 8-year-old dangled his legs out the window, but was hesitant to leap down.
“Jump! I got you, bro. I got you,” Walsh and the others yelled to him, ready to catch the boy.
As smoke quickly began billowing out the window, the officers’ and Good Samaritans’ pleas grew more frantic with each passing moment.
Finally, the boy builds up the courage to jump and safely drops down into Walsh’s arms, and whisks him away from the danger.
The youngster was transported to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Following the blaze, the officers and Dunbar were praised for their “heroic actions” during the stressful situation.
“All involved displayed courage and bravery — including the 8-year-old juvenile who jumped from the window,” Asbury Park Police Director John B. Hayes told NJ.com.
Dunbar told WSOCTV that he “had to do something” when he first noticed the house fire.
“I couldn’t have nobody else dying on my watch,” the neighbor said.
Walsh joked after the fire was extinguished that “catching an 8-year-old wasn’t really on the agenda for the day,” but was just doing what he was trained to do.
“It was almost like catching a punt on a football field, just kind of look it in, and that’s what we did when he fell,” Walsh said.
The heroic officer said he was thankful the child trusted him enough to jump into his arms.
“That kid trusted us to get him out that window and thankfully he did jump, and that’s something I think all parents should be able to tell their kids that,” Walsh said. “They can trust us.”
The boy was alone in the house while his mother was at work when the fire broke out.
Two residents in the downstairs unit managed to escape on their own.
The Asbury Park Fire Department said there were no fatalities or serious injuries in the blaze and is investigating the cause.
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