LAKEWOOD - Residents of a house cut a hole in their garage door to rescue a man trapped inside while a fire blazed early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Just before 1:30 a.m., emergency personnel were dispatched to a working house fire at 419 Joe Parker Road, according to Gregory Staffordsmith, spokesperson for the Lakewood Police Department.
At the scene, officers found several individuals - later determined to be occupants of the home - cutting a hole in the steel garage door with a reciprocating saw in an effort to rescue a man who was trapped inside, Staffordsmith said. Once the opening was large enough, officers Julian Guzman and Michael Sheehan were able to get in by busting through a sheetrock of wall that had been constructed up against the garage door.
More: Lakewood fire that hospitalized three did not involve arson, investigators say
Once inside, the officers found an unconscious 25-year-old Lakewood man lying on the floor, Staffordsmith said. He appeared to be suffering complications from breathing in the smoke and heat from the fire.
The man was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment while the Lakewood Fire Department continued fighting the fire, according to Staffordsmith. The victim's condition is not known as of Monday morning.
Further investigation determined that the fire was started by an improperly discarded cigarette, police said.
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Residents tried to rescue Lakewood man from house fire by sawing through garage door
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