A heroic Navy sailor rescued trapped residents from a burning building after watching it go up in flames from his car.
A fire raged at an apartment complex in Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon, sparked by “unattended cooking” in a downstairs unit.
Two people were injured and at least 32 are now displaced after the entire building was razed.
But the incident could have been much worse without the efforts of Gabriel Journey, a Navy sailor who came to the aid of a mother and son trapped in the fire.
“The fire started at the bottom and had spread, trapping them,” Journey said Wavy.
He said he was driving past the building when he noticed the fire and heard a woman screaming, prompting him to jump out of his car and render aid.
‘There was a group of about four other gentlemen. “I let them pick me up and I climbed up the side of the building and helped get her out,” he said.
“It’s what I train for every day at work, so the first priority was to get as many people out as quickly as possible.”
A heroic Navy sailor rescued trapped residents from a burning building after watching the building go up in flames from his car
Two people were injured and at least 32 are now displaced after the entire building was razed
A fire raged at an apartment complex in Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon, sparked by “unattended cooking” in a ground-floor unit
Video shows the moment Journey pulled a woman to safety while balancing himself on a narrow ledge.
Thick, black smoke billowed from the windows as he lured the woman into his arms, followed immediately by her son.
Below him, other good Samaritans raised their hands in an attempt to help catch people as they left the building.
Due to the strong winds, the fire quickly spread through the building.
Two people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Journey has been hailed as a hero for his actions, and onlookers said he should be rewarded for his bravery.
‘A real American Hero who takes up a challenge wherever and whenever. We salute you Gabe,” someone said.
“Give this man a Medal of Honor and Bravery Salute.”
Below him, other good Samaritans raised their hands in an attempt to help catch people as they left the building.
Journey (left) is assigned to a nuclear submarine in Virginia and is a third-generation submarine
Due to the strong winds, the fire quickly spread through the building. Two people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
Journey is assigned to a nuclear submarine in Virginia and is a third-generation submarine.
The fire brigade determined that the building complex could no longer be salvaged and demolished what was left of it.
Residents are calling for a thorough investigation into possible electrical problems in the building, noting that several individual units have reported problems with their heaters in recent weeks.
Others noted that the black smoke indicated the fire was electrical.