A policeman who is being hailed as a hero all around the world for risking his won life to save an endangered girl has had a special treat as he watches her celebrate her big day.
The hero cop, Peter Getz and Josibel Aponte at her graduation
The hero cop has been reunited with the girl he saved from a deadly apartment fire almost twenty years ago.
According to Daily Mail, Josibel Aponte was just five years old in 1998 when her Connecticut home went up in flames, in a blaze that claimed the life of her uncle and would have almost certainly killed her, if not for her 'saviour' Peter Getz.
The dramatic rescue was captured in a powerful newspaper photograph which showed the retired police detective carrying the ash-covered unconscious girl in his arms.
Now Aponte has been reunited with her rescuer, without whom she would not be here today.
'I almost died, but I was given a second chance at life,' she said. 'And it was because of Peter and all the authorities, everyone who came to help that day.'
On Tuesday, she invited Getz, to join her as she graduated magna cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University, Courant reports.
'There are only a few moments that are so important in life,' Aponte said. 'I wanted to share my graduation with everyone who's important to me, who have been there for me, and who helped me through tough times.'
This is the moment Getz saved 5-year-old Aponte's life in 1998
On that fateful day on June 25, 1998, Getz said he had called out to a fire in the Aponte's apartment on Washington Street.
He arrived at the scene just in time to see a firefighter carrying a young girl out of the burning building. Before he could react, the youngster was thrust into his arms as the fire crews ran back into the building to fight the flames.
Acutely aware that Aponte was not breathing and did not have a pulse, Getz said he fled back to the patrol car where he immediately began to perform CPR.
The cop continued CPR in the back of the car throughout the journey to the hospital, and by the time they pulled up, his young patient was breathing normally again.
Sadly, Aponte's uncle Jofrey was not so lucky and later passed away from his injuries. Her mother was at work at the time.
The burnt house in which Aponte nearly died 18 years ago
For Aponte, she remembers little of the ordeal past the thick heavy smoke and trying unsuccessfully to wake Jofrey.
But for Getz, it was an experience that always stayed with him.
'It's one of those things that touches your heart and stays with you,' he said. 'It's a situation that we could control, that we could foresee the outcome of. The firemen did their job, I did my job, the hospital staff did their job. As a result, we still have a beautiful young woman still on the face of the Earth.'
Now an investigator with Aetna, Getz kept the iconic photo of the rescue on his desk, and would keep tabs on Aponte and her family and after they moved to Vernon.
Aponte and Getz hang out together often these days
But he said he was not sure whether he should reach out to her.
Two years ago, Aponte made the decision for him after she was able to track down the former detective on Facebook.
Now 23, she said she had wanted to meet the man who saved her life.
'Not many people can or are willing to put themselves in danger to save others,' she said. 'It's because of people like Peter and all of our police officers and firefighters that I'm alive.'
Since making contact, the pair often get together to discuss their lives and the night that first brought them together.
And when it came time for Aponte to graduate from Eastern Connecticut State University. on Tuesday, she said she couldn't have imagined not having Getz at her side.
'To see the outcome, to see how successful she's been, makes my heart beat faster,' he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment