CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Sullivan County firefighter dangles from window during senior living complex fire

A Sullivan County firefighter is recovering from his injuries after he was forced to dangle from a window during a fire at a senior living complex - and it was all caught on camera.

News 12 Staff

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Mar 10, 2022, 10:38 PM

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Updated 1,021 days ago

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A Sullivan County firefighter is recovering from his injuries after he was forced to dangle from a window during a fire at a senior living complex - and it was all caught on camera.

The Liberty volunteer firefighter is seen in the viral video clinging for safety to a fifth-story window Tuesday night.

Raging flames inside a unit at Buckley Garden Apartments forced the rescuer to make a desperate, split-second decision that could have gone wrong at any moment.

"We went to go out, and I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe," says Chris Dennison.

Firefighters were inside the senior living facility on North Main Street evacuating more than 50 elderly and disabled residents when the flames became too much.

People there say that firefighter was dangling from the window for several minutes before his fellow rescuers could get a bucket ladder up to save him.

"He got burnt, and there was another fireman in the apartment, and he got burnt, too," says Bruce Dennison, of Liberty.

Authorities have not confirmed that a second rescuer was injured, but say the firefighter was taken by helicopter to Westchester Medical Center with injuries.

People say that because of all the firefighters' efforts, the flames stayed inside one apartment and the bad situation didn't become worse.

News 12 reached out to Liberty officials to check on the conditions of the firefighters hurt but has not heard back.