Daring rescue earns firefighter awards

Two Houston firefighters whose last-second rescue of a construction worker from a burning apartment building made for breathtaking video have been jointly honored as Firefighter of the Year.

Capt. Brad Hawthorne and Engine Operator Dewayne Wyble, both from Station 18 at Lockwood and Telephone Road, received the award July 16 from the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston. They were honored during the organization's 36th annual Firefighter of the Year luncheon at a Galleria restaurant.

Nearly 200 firefighters and 80 pieces of equipment responded to the five-alarm blaze March 25 at an apartment building under construction on West Dallas at Montrose. But it was Hawthorne and Wyble and the construction worker they saved who captured national attention, thanks to viral video.

As the fire raged, the worker jumped from the fourth-floor balcony to a balcony one floor below. When Hawthorne moved near him on an aerial ladder, the worker made a desperate leap to safety.

Right then, a large section of the top floor collapsed behind them, and the burning wall fell to the ground.

The worker was rescued "pretty much seconds before the fire would have overtaken him," Capt. Ruy Lozano said.

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Daring rescue earns firefighter awards