'I Could Hear Yelling Inside': Aurora Police Officers Save Family From Burning Home
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- Two Aurora police officers are getting some unexpected attention after saving a family from a burning home. To them, it was just part of the job.
"I think it's instinctive I don't think anyone would think twice about it I think I'm more nervous in this interview than I was last night!" chuckled Aurora Police Officer Alex Diz.
Diz alongside Aurora Police Officer Alex Sweeney have been with the police department a combined 21 years. Neither of them have ever been the subject of a news story and were surprised by the attention.
"There are hundreds and hundreds of 1:10 second stories, and it's just luck of the draw that ours makes the news. This happens so frequently that I think people are not aware of how often it happens," said Diz.
Around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sweeney heard a call for a house fire and was the first to respond, "I just happened to be really close to the house so I got there in about a minute."
This is not the first house fire Sweeney has responded to. He was a volunteer firefighter in college and was well equipped to deal with the situation. What happened after he arrived was first.
"I got to the front door and I could hear two people yelling inside."
Sweeney said the smoke was so thick, he initially didn't feel it was safe enough to enter.
"I tried to stay out and call them to me but the elderly female in the house said that her husband couldn't walk, so I kind of figured that I have to go in and get him."
Sweeney crawled toward the man on his hands and knees.
"Just picked him up, luckily he wasn't very big and was able to get him out pretty easily."
It all happened fast and not far behind Sweeney was Diz.
"When we arrived on scene, Officer Sweeney was in the doorway dragging an elderly gentleman out and I said 'Is there anyone else in the house?' and he indicated that there was someone else in the house."
Diz went in to grab the man's wife who was inside looking for their pets. Once she was outside, Diz went back in to retrieve the pets.
"It's just one of those things, so you respond according to the circumstances presented to you so in this case, someone who's in peril so you go in and do what you have to do."
Everyone made it out safe thanks to the quick acting officers.
"You know, after the fact we're kind of thinking about what we went through but at the end of the day, everybody that signs up to do this job, whether its police, fire or ambulance, they're all doers and anybody would do the same in the same situation," said Sweeney.
Aurora Fire investigators say the fire started in the bathroom and was accidental. While there is damage to the home, the family is fortunately not displaced.