Chattanooga firefighters responded to a two-alarm apartment fire at Hidden Creek Apartments at 7710 E. Brainerd Road Thursday night. Photo by Bruce GarnerChattanooga firefighters battled a large apartment fire last night at the Hidden Creek Apartments on East Brainerd Road.
An off-duty Chattanooga firefighter captured a baby after it was dropped from the third floor by the mother, according to Bruce Garner, fire department spokesman.
The firefighter was identified as Lieutenant Vernon Lane, with Ladder 1 at Station 1. Lane also lived in that apartment building and when fire broke out, he got out and spotted the mother and her 10-month-old baby boy on a third floor balcony, Garner said.
Lane said the woman dropped the baby toward him, and he managed to catch it, dropping to the ground to help break the fall. But before Lane could get back up, the woman landed on top of both of them, Garner said. The woman and baby were taken to a hospital.
The condition of the mother and child is still being assessed by medical personnel, but none of their injuries are thought to be life-threatening, Garner said. They have not been identified.