Five
members of a Bronx
family were saved
from their burning
apartment Sunday
morning by
fast-acting
firefighters who
broke down their
door and dragged
them to safety.
The dramatic rescue
occurred about 3:30
a.m. after flames
and thick smoke
swept through the
Florentino family's
second-floor home on
W. Tremont Ave. in
Morris Heights, the
Fire Department
said.
Three children, ages
12 and under, were
whisked to safety
without serious
injuries. But
firefighters from
Ladder 59 found mom
and
dad Fauto and
Rosie Florentino
overcome by smoke in
the hallway and no
longer able to
breathe.
"They had just about
made it to the
apartment door,"
said Capt. Jim
Rodgers who led the
rescue. "(There was)
a woman behind the
door and a man
further in."
Rodgers said the
couple was rushed to
the building's lobby
where firefighters
gave them emergency
CPR for about 15
minutes until they
began gasping again
for air.
"It took a while,"
said Firefighter
Paul Denver who
worked furiously to
revive Rosie. "She
wasn't breathing
when we got her down
here, but she was
breathing after."
The couple was
rushed to Jacobi
Medical Center in
critical condition.
Their kids were also
taken to Jacobi
where they were
treated for smoke
inhalation.
Officials said the
blaze appeared to
have started in the
family's kitchen. It
took about an hour
for firefighters to
get the one-alarm
fire under control.
Panicked neighbors
from the six-story
building watched as
firefighters worked
furiously to revive
the couple in the
lobby.
"They brought them
down and they had no
reaction. They were
unconscious. They
looked very bad,"
said neighbor
Marilyn Rosario, 38,
who said she knows
the family well. "We
pray for them.
They're nice family,
nice people."
Fifth-floor resident
Fatima Nunez, 49,
sobbed as she
watched her
neighbors battling
for their lives. "I
knew the lady on the
floor. I'm very sad.
She looked bad."
Joe Canzy, 50, who
lives next door to
the Florentinos said
he called 911 after
another neighbor
smelled smoke and
banged on his door
to wake him up.
"A neighbor knocked
on my door and said,
'Get out! There's a
fire,'" said Canzy,
who saw a thick
black smoke coming
out of the
Florentinos' door as
he ran to safety.
"When I left you
could feel the heat
so I didn't want to
hang around."
