Josi Aponte was 5 when the apartment building she and her uncle were living in erupted in flames while they were inside.
Prepared for a rescue mission, Hartford firefighters entered the building, where they were met with heavy fire and black smoke, according to Getz, who retired as a detective.
“Josi wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse when the firefighters pulled her out of the building,” said Getz, who was a patrolman at the time. “I took her from the firefighter and started CPR.”
Getz jumped in the back of his patrol car and gave his keys to a recruit. They drove to the hospital while Getz continued CPR on Aponte.
“She began breathing right when we pulled into the hospital,” he told CNN.
“I almost died, but I was given a second chance at life,” Aponte told the Hartford Courant. “And it was because of Peter and all the authorities, everyone who came to help that day.”
Getz said he kept the photo taken by the Courant on his desk. Getz’s two children were just a couple years older than Aponte at the time of the fire.
“I followed her progress for years in the school system,” he said. “Just to make sure she was doing well.”
skyscraper_eagle on December 30th, 2024 at 21:51 UTC »
It changed two lives that day
elizabethhill7776 on December 30th, 2024 at 21:52 UTC »
Sometimes it's really nice to see just good stuff
howar9james on December 30th, 2024 at 21:56 UTC »
Josi Aponte was 5 when the apartment building she and her uncle were living in erupted in flames while they were inside.
Prepared for a rescue mission, Hartford firefighters entered the building, where they were met with heavy fire and black smoke, according to Getz, who retired as a detective.
Getz jumped in the back of his patrol car and gave his keys to a recruit. They drove to the hospital while Getz continued CPR on Aponte.
Getz said he kept the photo taken by the Courant on his desk. Getz’s two children were just a couple years older than Aponte at the time of the fire.