A terrifying scene unfolded in Asbury Park, New Jersey, when a family home was engulfed in flames and a young boy was left trapped inside. The fire broke out at around 9 a.m. on Monday, August 25, quickly consuming the two-story residence.
While two residents on the ground floor managed to escape, an eight-year-old boy—home alone at the time—was stranded on the second floor, unable to make his way out through the smoke-filled house. His mother was reportedly at work when the blaze started.
Dramatic footage captures the heart-stopping moment police officers and a nearby resident pleaded with the child to leap from the upstairs window. Through the thick smoke and growing flames, the boy finally made the terrifying jump, straight into the arms of his rescuers.
Officer Dewitt Bacon and Officer John Walsh of the Asbury Park Police Department, along with courageous resident Joseph Dunbar, managed to catch the boy safely, preventing what could have been a devastating tragedy. Witnesses described the moment as nothing short of miraculous.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, while the boy is said to have escaped without serious injuries.