A Texas police officer is being hailed a hero after running into a burning mobile home to save a family, including an eight-year-old boy.
While driving to pick up feed for his horses on Monday, Cristobal Marin noticed smoke coming from a home. He headed for the fire to see if he could help, he told CNN.
When Marin arrived, he saw an officer running out of the flames and carrying a child. He took out his phone and began recording, catching the brave rescue on camera.
In video shared to his Instagram account, @the_boss_moltisanti, Socorro officer Joshua Gonzalez is seen running towards the burning home.
“As I parked my patrol unit I could feel the heat coming from the residence,” Gonzalez told KVIA-TV. “Once I made myself present to the people standing by, I asked them what was going on and they said somebody was inside the residence, that there were people in there.”
“It was well within my heart and soul to run in and try to get these people out.”
The door was hot as Gonzalez entered the home, finding two adults and the little boy.
“The house was already full of smoke, I could barely breathe and I even advised them, ‘cover your mouths,’ to try to get out as soon as possible safely,” Gonzalez continued. “From that point, I grabbed the child and I held him tight in my arms and I ran out with him and got him to the street where there was a couple of neighbours … To take care of him.”
The other adults were saved by an off-duty firefighter on the scene. The boy wasn’t injured, but an elderly adult was treated for smoke inhalation.
The Socorro Police Department honoured Gonzalez’s bravery in a statement released on Wednesday.
“The Socorro Police would also like to recognize one of their own, Officer Joshua Gonzalez, who undertook a selfless act, when he entered one of the houses to remove a family that was still located inside,” the statement reads.
Gonzalez says the boy was upset about losing his football cleats in the fire, KVIA-TV reports, but the officer offered to buy him a new pair.
A GoFundMe has been started to support the family in rebuilding their home.
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