Man Meets Florida Deputies Who Saved Him From Burning Car -- Storyful

Newly-released footage shows Florida sheriff’s deputies saving a driver trapped in a burning car in February, and the driver then meeting the “heroes” who aided in his rescue. According to police, on February 17, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded a call and found Brandon Dookharan trapped in a burning car, unable to move. Body-worn camera footage and police testimonials chronicle the dramatic rescue in which deputies used over a dozen fire extinguishers to keep the flames at bay until the fire department arrived. At one point, a deputy tells Dookharan to hold his hand. Another says, “We’re here with you, buddy.” “When you’re in the moment, you don’t think anything but just try to take the guy out from the fire,” Deputy Francisco Santos Melo said of the incident. “There’s risk in everything we do in life. But we took it together.” The sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook, “Today, we acknowledge the spirit of these deputies and their commitment to protecting and serving our community. Their selflessness reminds us that heroes walk among us — ordinary individuals who rise to the occasion when lives hang in the balance.” Dookharan suffered third-degree burns to 40 percent of his body, his brother wrote on a GoFundMe page. Later footage shows Dookharan meeting the deputies who saved his life, a few weeks after he was released from the hospital. He spent 89 days in the hospital and underwent a more than a dozen surgeries, his brother said After shaking hands with the deputies, Dookharan said, “I went through a lot, but I’m here. I’m only 23 and I’m still able to see many, many years. They made that all possible.”