Woman in burning Dallas apartment drops baby from third-floor window to bystander
DALLAS — Residents of a Dallas apartment complex leaped from third-floor windows onto mattresses, and a woman dropped her baby to a bystander to escape the flames. Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says several residents and bystanders, assisted by police officers, went door-to-door to alert others to the fire Wednesday morning.
Authorities say three people, including a firefighter, suffered minor injuries.
CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports one woman dropped her infant to a man below as he held out his arms. Other residents were seen jumping from third-story windows onto mattresses dragged from inside the east Dallas complex before firefighters arrived. At least six residents jumped from the third level.
It took nearly 50 firefighters to extinguish the fire. However, the department said the "real heroes" came to the rescue of some of the residents who had to jump from the third story of the building in order to escape the flames.
"At least six people from the third floor who actually had to jump to safety. Among those six was a baby who they had to throw down," Evans said.
Investigators are trying to determine what started the fire that destroyed about two dozen units.
As for the baby, the man who caught him was glad he could be trusted to save the baby's life.
"I told her to drop the baby down. First she hesitated. I told her I'm gonna catch the baby. So she finally trusted me, and she dropped the baby," said Bryon Campbell. "It's real crazy. It's my first time doing that."
Dallas Police released body cam video of the rescue effort.