Staten Island father recounts how he and son saved patrons from fire inside Brooklyn restaurant
NEW YORK -- A father shared his story Monday after he and his son jumped into action to save diners from a blazing fire at a Borough Park, Brooklyn restaurant over the weekend.
CBS New York spoke to him in the hospital.
"I had a little too much smoke that went inside my lungs," Joey Khoury said.
Khoury is still recovering from smoke inhalation at Staten Island University Hospital after rushing into a burning restaurant filled with customers.
"It was scary. You don't think about stuff until you do it. I was just thinking about getting the kids out, families out," Khoury said.
On Saturday at around 6 p.m., Khoury, who lives on Staten Island, and his son spotted smoke coming from Ortobello's on Bay Parkway as they were driving home from work.
"We pulled over, ran in. My son started taking everybody out, yelling at everybody to call 911," Khoury said.
He said they used four fire extinguishers to get people to safety until the fire department showed up, and also evacuated the apartment building above the restaurant.
"I wanted to get my mother out they smelled smoke. My mother came down. She said everything was OK," Brooklyn resident Marcie Freedman said.
CBS New York reached the restaurant owner by phone. He said his father opened Ortobello's 50 years ago and he's still in shock, but like the sign outside the establishment says, they plan to reopen very soon.
"The food is amazing. The owner is a very good guy," one patron said.
"The owner was really nice. He hugged me, thanked me very much. The fireman said if I didn't do what I did a lot of people would've been hurt," Khoury said.
Khoury said despite his injuries it was the right thing to do and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.
