Newark, NJ mayor Cory Booker has already done great things during his time in office, and now he can add “hero” to his resume, as he rescued multiple women from a burning building. More details below.
Booker was taken to a hospital late last night for treatment of smoke inhalation he suffered after rescuing his next-door neighbors from their burning house.
According to the Star Ledger, Booker said he grabbed the victim and whipped her out of the bed while suffering second-degree burns on his hand.
As reported by the Ledger:
The fire started in a two-story building on Hawthorne Avenue in the Upper Clinton Hill neighborhood, shortly before the mayor arrived home after a television interview with News 12 New Jersey.
Five people were taken to the hospital for treatment: the mayor, a woman from the house and three members of his security detail. The woman was listed in stable condition at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with burns to her back and neck.
Newark Fire Director Fateen Ziyad said after the mayor arrived home he saw flames and smoke from the second floor of the building next to his home, and no residents outside,
Booker rushed in and his security detail followed him, Ziyad said.
After being released from the hospital Booker recounted his experience with reporters and said he thought he might have to jump out of a window because of the heavy flames:
“We got everybody out of the house, but their daughter’s screaming, ‘I’m upstairs!’ ”
Booker said when he reached the second floor, he was engulfed in flames and smoke:
“I suddenly had the realization that I can’t find this woman. I look behind me and see the flames and I think “I’m not going to get out of here. Suddenly I was at peace with the fact that I was going to jump out the window.”
Then he heard her cries in a back bedroom.
“I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” Booker said. The two made their way downstairs, where they both collapsed, Booker said.
Booker shared his heroic experience with his Twitter followers, telling them that he suffered from smoke inhalation, and said he was being taken by EMS to University Hospital for treatment.
Booker tweeted:
“Thanks 2 all who are concerned. Just suffering smoke inhalation. We got the woman out of the house. We are both off to hospital. I will b ok.”
Shortly after midnight, Booker tweeted an update, praising the heroics of one of his security officers:
“Thanks everyone, my injuries were relatively minor. Thanks to Det. Alex Rodriguez who helped get all of the people out of the house.”
This isn’t the first time Booker put his life on the line for his city, back in 2010 he and his security team chased down a stolen car thief after he slammed his car into a house.
