It was an emotional moment for a Windsor man this week when he met the firefighters and paramedics who saved his life in May by pulling him out of a burning house and then got his heart beating again.
“I’m just the most grateful man in the world that I get to see the heroes who pulled me out of that fire … and allowed me to live,” said Jeffrey Anger.
The 37-year-old business owner expressed his gratitude on Wednesday to the life-saving “heroes” — the emergency personnel who rescued and resuscitated him and transported him to hospital where he spent seven days in a coma before regaining consciousness.
“I couldn’t be more grateful, not only to be here but to be in a room full of heroes,” Anger said during a gathering of Windsor Fire and Rescue Services members and Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Service crews at Windsor Fire Station 7.
“You never know what life has in store for you and that night, I never knew what was in store for me.
“But without you guys and your courageous efforts, I wouldn’t be here. I’m honoured.
“I appreciate you all.”
Anger was sleeping at the home of a friend in the 1100 block of Prado Place on May 26 when fire broke out.
Crews from Fire Station 7 arrived on scene around 12:35 p.m. to find flames coming out of the garage door and kitchen window.
They were informed someone was in the house, possibly in the home’s rear, right-side bedroom.
“Those of you who have never been inside a burning building, it’s nothing like you see on TV,” fire Chief Stephen Laforet told Anger’s family, who attended the station along with many of the firefighters and paramedics who helped save Anger’s life.
“Visibility is zero. Imagine the darkest room you’ve ever been in with your eyes closed and that’s what our firefighters face.
“It’s an unknown, inhospitable, unwelcoming environment.”
Firefighters Steve Peters and Zach Livingston, and captain Laz Sofikitis pulled Anger out of the burning building. He was unconscious and not breathing.
EMS personnel administered advance-life-support measures — CPR and artificial respiration — and it took several minutes before Anger’s heart began beating on it’s own, Laforet said.
Anger was transported to hospital with a police escort. He has since fully recovered.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t turn out this good most of the time,” Sofikitis said. “But everything aligned that day.”
Sofikitis said the information received about where Anger might be in the building was crucial to their success in finding him.
“We just felt our way to the top and found him,” he said. “We found him, pulled him out to a waiting crew that provided medical care right away.
“And then you had the paramedics that are unsung heroes. They don’t get as much credit as they should.”
Peters said the unknown layout of buildings they enter, along with the heat of a fire and to know that they are looking for someone inside, intensifies the situation.
“We’re highly trained and we know what we’re doing … but it also adds a little bit of haste to it because we know that there could be someone in there,” he said.
“And the longer that they’re in there without proper breathing apparatus, decreases their chance of survival.”
Livingston said the extensive training firefighters receive is vital to their success.
“It’s just automatic. Just going in there and doing what you do every day when you’re doing your training,” said Livingston, adding it was a happy feeling to meet Anger and his family.
“It’s a great moment.”
Sofikitis said they don’t often get to meet the people they help after the situation is over.
“To do this and to see him and the emotions, you could tell, and you know it’s hard not to get emotional yourself. But it’s great to meet these people,” he said.
“It’s a blessing to meet the family, and how thankful they are.”
Anger said there’s not much he remembers from that day in May.
“To be honest it was one of the wildest experiences I’ve ever been through in my life,” he said.