A Bedford woman pulled from her home by firefighters and resuscitated has died after being hospitalized Friday.
Firefighters rescued the woman after locating her inside her smoke-filled home using thermal imaging equipment. She was unconscious at the time, but firefighters were able to revive her using CPR.
She was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas where she later died, officials said.
Brenden Stich, a neighbor, was outside working on his car Friday afternoon when he saw thick, black smoke rising into the air from a home on an adjacent street.
Stich said he ran to the home on Coffee Tavern Road, yelled through the front door and then forced his way inside when no one answered.
Dense, black smoke greeted Stich as he entered the home, though he was able to make out the shape of a dog on the living room floor. The good Samaritan grabbed the dog, turned around and said he had trouble making out the front door.
After making his way back outside with the dog he said he considered going back into the home, but said it was too hot and the smoke was too thick for him to return.
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Meanwhile, neighbors had called 911 to report seeing smoke coming from home and that they believed a woman was still inside.
Firefighters arrived quickly from a nearby fire station and made their way into the home where they retrieved the woman.
Stich said he didn't know his neighbor, or that she had a dog, but wanted to be sure that if there was someone inside that he tried to help them.
"In my mind, I wish I would have went back in and tried to find her, but I knew with the capability of who I am as a person and how much smoke was in there there was no way I could have done it myself," Stich said.
Ryan Hancock, an engineer with the Bedford Fire Department, said the firefighters did a phenomenal job using the tools available and their training to rescue the woman and to give her the best chance at survival.
"This is one of those situations we train countless hours for, to be able to make a big impact when seconds count," Hancock said. "When seconds count, training is what you rely on."
Hancock said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials said there was no one else inside the home at the time and no other injuries were reported.
