fire

Police Rescue Disabled Man From Burning Home

Man, officer suffer minor injuries

River Oaks police officers jumped into action early Wednesday morning and saved a disabled man's life.

Officers arrived at the scene of a house fire on the 900 block of Churchill Road before firefighters and had just seconds to get inside a burning home to rescue the man.

NBC 5 has learned the 60-year-old man was home with his adult son, daughter and 8-month-old granddaughter when the fire broke out.

The man's son, Joseph Sauer, tried to get his father out of the burning home, but couldn't get him into his wheelchair.

"My dad, who is disabled, I'm trying to help him get out of his bed into his wheelchair, but he falls out of the wheelchair," Sauer said. "He was too heavy for me alone. I was the only guy in the house, he weighs about 265, 270 pounds. It's impossible to get him back in his wheelchair."

Officers were able to break a window and pull the man out of the burning home.  He is having trouble breathing due to smoke inhalation, but he will recover.

"We’re just glad he’s out. The house is gone but we’re glad he’s out. All of our officers were lightheaded. We’re all thankful we got him out of the house. It could have been a lot worse," said Sgt. Steve Nance with the River Oaks Police Department.

One of the police officers was hospitalized after getting cut saving the man.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

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