Hero Officer Rescues Dog From Burning Car In Indiana

GARY, Ind. – Inside a burning car along a Northwest Indiana expressway was some precious cargo.

Bella the dog was trapped.

However, Bella is going to be OK, thanks to quick action of a cop in the right place at the right time, CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports.

Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Dan Murchek rescued Bella from the flames.

"I was at the right place at the right time," Murchek said. "I didn't want to see the dog burn alive in the car, and I was going to make an effort to save him."

Murchek was on patrol on Cline Avenue in Gary when he got the call of a vehicle on fire. He jumped on the Borman Expressway and rushed to the scene.

The car was engulfed in flames when Murchek pulled up. Two men were standing nearby and one told him his dog might still be inside.

"So I ran up to the car," Murchek said. "I looked in the backseat and I could see the dog. It was in the backseat on the floor obviously scared."

Murchek tried to call the dog out, but it wouldn't move, so Murchek decided to go in.

"I went in first for a second or two. Couldn't get the dog out it was hot and smoky so I stepped back out. I decided to make one more effort to try, and I took a deep breath went in, reached over the backseat was able to grab the dog by his collar and scruff and pulled him out and was lucky to get him out. "

Murchek said the dog probably had less than a minute before it would have been too late to save her.

The dog's owner, Murchek said, was "very happy." They were very happy.

As for his bravery, Murchek says he was just doing his job.

"I was in the right place at the right time," he said. "This is what policeman do every day across the country."

Murchek said he's rescued people from fires before, but this is the first time he's rescued a dog.