KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A family is praising a Tennessee firefighter for catching their infant son during an apartment blaze.
News outlets report that fire crews responded Sunday morning to a fire at the apartment complex. Knoxville senior firefighter Eric "Bo" Merritt was monitoring the building and saw a family holding their 1-month-old son out the window to avoid the heavy smoke in their unit. Merritt told the father to drop the baby, as rescue ladders had not yet been set up and the environment could have been toxic for the infant.
The baby's father obliged and dropped the newborn, who fell 25 feet to 30 feet into Merritt's arms. The child was uninjured.
Fire Capt. David Frazier stood behind Merritt to brace him for the catch.