Yonkers Fire Lieutenant Saves Teen From Burning Apartment On Christmas Morning

YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Yonkers Fire Department lieutenant risked his life to save a teenage girl trapped in a burning apartment Friday morning.

According to the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, firefighters were called to an eight-story apartment building at 355 Bronx River Rd. around 10:05 a.m. with reports of heavy black smoke coming from a third-floor window.

The union said as firefighters rushed to the scene, a teenager called 911 in a panic, saying she was trapped in the back bedroom of the apartment and that flames were blocking her exit.

Firefighters from two units arrived at the apartment four minutes after the first call was made to 911, the union said.

"We saw one of the girls who lives in the apartment building hanging out the window," Cindy Flowers, a neighbor, told CBS2's Ilana Gold. "She had been screaming she couldn't breathe."

That's when Yonkers Fire Lieutenant Danny Nee rushed into the burning building to save the girl. Nee crawled past the heavy fire to the smoke-filled bedroom where the teen was trapped, according to the union. They said he then shared his breathing mask with the girl as he rescued her from the burning apartment. 

"We found her, took my mask off, put it on her, dragged her out of the apartment with my mask on her," Nee told WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini.

Both Nee and the victim were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where they were treated for smoke inhalation elevated carbon-monoxide levels. Lee has since been released with an injured finder.

"I feel pretty good right now. It's, you know, it's always nice to make sure a 16-year-old girl gets home to her family on Christmas," Nee said.

Nee has been with the Yonkers Fire Department for six years and is a veteran Marine who served in the Iraq war, according to the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.

Though firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, the apartment sustained heavy smoke and fire damage, union officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"We gotta thank god and thank them too," Ardjan Gocha, the girl's uncle, said. "It's Christmas Day, so I think it's a miracle."