A Chatham police officer is credited with saving a woman from a burning home.
The department said Officer Robin Brachear responded to a structure fire on Dec. 18 at 10:37 a.m. Upon arrival, Brachear noticed smoke billowing out of the south window of a trailer. He also noticed a young toddler boy, 2 to 3 years of age, running towards the home that was currently on fire.
Brachear exited his squad car and picked up the boy, bringing him to the safety of neighbor who was standing outside.
The department said the officer then returned to the home and entered it through the front door. He saw smoke throughout that was so dark he could not see the ceiling.
"Bending down and peering through the smoke, he could make out what appeared to be a person attempting to put the fire out. The person appeared to be in obvious distress, and he yelled at them with no response. The smoke was so thick he could not breathe. Officer Brachear ran out to his squad car and quickly retrieved his fire extinguisher. He returned to the residence and sprayed the fire the best he could. He then located the woman and quickly escorted her outside the residence to safety," it said.
The Chatham Fire Department then arrived on scene and was able to extinguish the fire.
“When I arrived on scene and saw the little boy, I was worried he was going to run into the trailer. When I saw the woman inside the trailer, I knew I had to act fast to get her out of there,” Brachear said. “The smoke was so thick and toxic that I could barely breathe and I knew that she had been in there longer than I had. I knew that if she didn’t get out quickly, she was going to pass out or succumb to smoke inhalation.”
The department added "(Brachear's) actions bring great credit upon himself, the Chatham Police Department, and the Village of Chatham. We could not possibly be any more proud of him."
