ESTILL SPRINGS, Tenn. — A house fire in Estill Springs left a 76-year-old woman trapped inside while her great-grandson managed to escape. The rescue, captured on body-worn camera video, shows first responders rushing into the burning home, WTVF reports.
The fire on Feb.7 spread rapidly through the home. Joanne Armstrong managed to help her 10-year-old great-grandson escape before collapsing on the floor of her bedroom. With smoke filling the house, she made a desperate call to 911, pleading for help, WTVF reports.
“Oh God, I can’t get up and can’t breathe. Hurry up,” Armstrong said.
“All right, Joanne, they are coming,” a dispatcher said. “OK, just stay on the ground. Stay low as you can.”
“Oh, it is so hot, so hot.
Firefighters arrived within minutes and began fighting the fire as they searched for Armstrong. When firefighters located Armstrong, they lifted her unconscious body out of a window, video shows.
Once outside, she was transported to the hospital, where she was treated for third-degree burns covering much of her body, according to WTVF. She remains in critical condition.
The rescue was a coordinated team effort, with firefighters from Estill Springs, Capitol Hill, Decherd, Winchester and Franklin County battling the blaze alongside Estill Springs police, Franklin County sheriff’s deputies, and emergency dispatchers and paramedics.
