Airman rescues baby from fire

by Pascual Flores
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

7/9/2010 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- While off-duty and visiting a friend at a nearby fire department July 2, an Airman from here responded to a call of a dwelling fire with people trapped inside.

With the dwelling fire located around the corner from the fire station, Senior Airman John Muirhead, of the 87th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, stopped his vehicle when he noticed a woman hanging out of a third-floor window holding onto an infant.

"I saw them hanging out the window and knew I had to do something," Airman Muirhead said.

With heavy fire located in the front of the house, Airman Muirhead ran to the house and climbed to the second-story roof and directed the woman to drop the infant to him, from a height of approximately 20 feet.

Airman Muirhead caught the baby, and after checking the infant for signs of life and tapping the infant on the back to ensure the baby was breathing, passed the infant to a police officer.

The trapped woman then attempted to jump out of the third-floor window. Airman Muirhead tried to catch her, but lost his grip due to the force impact and almost fell from the roof himself. The woman landed on the ground below and attained a serious head wound.

After climbing down from the roof, Airman Muirhead rendered emergency first aid to the woman by removing his shirt to use as a pressure bandage until emergency medical professionals arrived.

The woman later died from the injury.

Local firefighters rescued an additional two children and one adult during the fire.

"I am very proud of (Airman Muirhead's) quick actions. He has developed into a true leader in the department," said Tom Nicometi, the deputy fire chief of the 87th CES fire department.