Parents Of Toddler Critically Hurt In High-Rise Fire Speak Out
BRENTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The parents of a 2-year-old girl critically injured in a Brentwood high-rise fire Friday are speaking out about her daughter's condition and thanking the two people who probably saved her life.
The fire also critically injured the girl's 69-year-old grandfather.
"America saw those images yesterday and its very hard to watch," said Ivo Gerscovich, about his family's ordeal.
The fire started on the 11th floor but heavy smoke caused the toddler and her grandfather to pass out on a higher floor, believed to be the 17th. They were found by Good Samaritans in a stairwell.
Gerscovich told KCAL9's Brittney Hopper that he and his wife, Ava, were running errands when the fire broke out.,
The victim's father is just glad the Good Samaritans found his family and was able to pull them to safety before they died.
"I have no doubt they saved our family's lives," he said.
The Good Samaritans were at the hospital visiting the family today.
"What I did was give her CPR right there. On the spot. And she came back and started puking blood and black [stuff] out of her mouth," said Sasha Poparic, one of the Samaritans.
The woman downplayed her act of heroism.
"You see a little girl in trouble and something just changes in your brain and you go into fix it mode," said Pamela Day, another Samaritan.
In cell phone video that the Samaritans shared with Hopper, fire alarms can be heard ringing out.
They said despite the smoke and danger, they went floor by floor -- starting with the 1st floor -- and looked for people stranded or trapped.
The Samaritans, themselves, all live on the 22st floor or higher.
The Gerscovich family lost their dog to the fire.
They are saddened but regarding the Samaritans Ivo said, "I can't thank these two people enough. Words, words don't even begin to say it."
