Deputies Back On The Job After Rescuing Mother In Burning Home
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Two Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputies who rescued an unconscious woman from a fire in her apartment last Friday say they were determined to try to rescue everyone they could.
The woman's two children were also pulled from the blaze at the Club Valencia apartment complex at 1303 South Parker Road by neighbors in the nick of time.
The deputies -- Kyle Brown and Richard Van Slyke -- arrived before the fire department and told reporters in a news conference on Thursday that one of the two children who lives in the unit that caught fire was laying in the grass steaming from the smoke.
Despite not having backup on scene yet, there said there was no question about what they had to do -- they immediately ran into the burning building to get the rest of the family out.
"I went in to see if I could save a life because at that time, seconds matter," Brown said. "My main concern at that point was the welfare for the family. We got a call on the radio -- dispatch aired that there was two small kids inside, so I have small children at home, Deputy Richard Van Slyke has children at home, so I would want someone to do the exact same thing that I did."
The second child was pulled out by his aunt, but his mother was still unconscious inside.
Brown said he tried to pick her up but couldn't so he grabbed her by her wrists and dragged her out.
Both deputies took gulps of fresh air before attempting to run back in. The smoke was so thick, both wound up suffering smoke inhalation.
"I backed out to find the rag or the clothes to put up to go over my face to go back in and then, fortunately, I was glad to hear that everybody was out and we could withdraw and let the fire department do their thing," Van Slyke said.
"So you were determined, you were going back in?" CBS4's Jamie Leary asked Van Slyke.
"Yes, there was no doubt about that. Until we knew that everybody was safe we were going to keep going back in," he said.
Although they are still feeling the effects from the smoke inhalation, Brown and Van Slyke are back at work.
It's unknown if the mother and her two children have been released from the hospital but their injuries are described as non-life threatening. The two deputies said they hope to meet the family at some point.