Lakewood, NJ police brave house fire to save man’s life

It's a huge fear for many people.

It's the middle of the night, you're finally fast asleep and something goes very wrong. In the case of a 25-year-old man in Lakewood, Ocean County earlier this month, it was a fire that started in his home just after 1 a.m.

As the flames raged through the home, neighbors called 9-1-1 and then went into the garage trying to gain entry knowing that their neighbor was still inside and maybe overcome by the smoke.

Lakewood police officers Julian Guzman and Michael Sheehan were first on the scene and immediately went into the garage. They used their training and physical strength to smash through the sheetrock and gain entry to the home.

They entered, despite the smoke and flames, and found the young man lying on the floor. The officers were able to pull him to safety, you can see this on video here:

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The man was taken to the hospital and as of the last report, he's in critical condition. Thankfully, because of these two hero officers, he will likely have another chance.

According to the fire inspectors, the fire started with a cigarette that was not fully extinguished.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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