Man Takes Unresponsive Girl Covered in Ash Away from a Fire – They Meet Again 19 Years Later

The world needs people who can go the extra mile in their selfless services. This story tells of a patrolman whose kind and selfless act gave a five-year-old girl a second chance at life. What did the man do? Continue reading to find out.

A person's life is immensely valuable to them, regardless of the circumstances, and there are no words to convey the importance of a human being's existence adequately.

As a result, saving someone's life is one of the most significant acts since it has the potential to shape an entire generation.

It takes only a selfless person who is generous in spirit to go the extra mile to ensure that someone gets a second chance at life.

In the world today, people like healthcare practitioners, police officers, firefighters, etc., put their lives on the line for others. However, saving lives should not be limited to a certain profession.

Most times, people who are given a second chance at life never forget their saviors. After fully recovering from a life-threatening situation, some survivors form deep connections with their heroes.

Many years later, they would still want these saviors to celebrate their milestones with them. This was the case of Josibelk Aponte, who reached out to the retired policeman that saved her life when she was little.

She invited the man to witness one of her big achievements, and he could not be happier about the lifesaving decision he had made many years back. Here are the details of the intriguing story.

DETAILS OF THE TRAGIC INCIDENT

On June 25, 1998, Aponte was only five years old when her and her uncle's apartment on Washington Street, Hartford, Connecticut, caught fire. Sadly, the pair were at home when the fire started, and thick smoke began filling the apartment in no time.

Aponte recalled trying to wake her uncle up, but all efforts proved abortive. Shortly after, the whole house was engulfed in black smoke and the five-year-old blacked out. Thankfully, Hartford firefighters arrived on time, entered the building, and began their rescue mission.

While the firefighters were doing their best, Peter Getz, a patrolman, and his partner arrived at the scene. Upon arrival, Getz witnessed a firefighter pull Aponte out of the building. However, the firefighter had to return to the building to continue his selfless service.

So, he dropped the little girl in Getz's arms and returned to his duty. Sadly, the medics had not arrived, but Aponte had no pulse, was covered in ash, and had gone into a cardiac arrest. So, the patrolman immediately acted and did what he was trained to do.

Getz got into the back seat of his patrol car and began CPR on the little girl while his partner drove to Hartford Hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, Aponte began to breathe on her own. Speaking about the intense experience, the patrolman told Hartford Courant:

"I'm one cog in that wheel, from the dispatchers to the firefighters who risked their lives to go in and bring her out."

"We all did what we were trained to do that day; it's just not about me. That's how this process is supposed to work. That's why we wear the uniforms we wear," Getz added.

Unfortunately, Aponte's uncle, Jofrey, succumbed to his injuries, but his niece's case was the opposite. She woke up a few hours after Getz brought her in and was surrounded by the first responders who saved her and her family.

In the following days, Aponte got regular visits from Getz and some of his colleagues. They also helped the little girl's family get financial help by getting Bob's Furniture to donate items and raise money to send Jofrey's body back to Venezuela.

Getz cared less about the financial assistance he and his colleagues could render and more about the opportunity to save little Aponte's life.

To prove how much he cared about the little girl and her family, he followed their progress for years but lost connection with them after moving to Vernon.

APONTE AND GETZ RECONNECT

In 2014, Getz and Aponte reconnected. The latter revealed that she occasionally felt nostalgic about the fire incident, and since she could barely recall what happened, she decided to get some information.

So, Aponte googled her name and was touched by what she saw online. Aponte saw the photo that captured the moment Getz carried her in his arms and away from the fire.

Aponte decided to find Getz, which she did after Facebook-stalking him for a while. She sent him a message, and the duo reconnected.

"He saved me, and he's just walking out with me in his arms. I'm so grateful for him because we call him my guardian angel," Aponte confessed.

Eventually, Getz became an important part of Aponte's life. They often hung out for lunch, discussing various topics, including the retired detective's kids, his dogs, and how Aponte was doing in school.

GETZ SHARES IN APONTE'S JOY

Two years later, on May 17, Aponte graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor's degree in accounting, and she made sure Getz witnessed the significant milestone. In her words:

"There are only a few moments that are important in life. I wanted to share my graduation with everyone who's important to me, who has been there for me, and who helped me through tough times."

"I almost died, but I was given a second chance at life. And it was because of Peter and all authorities, everyone who came to help that day," she added.

On Getz's part, he was overwhelmed with emotions after Aponte gave him a graduation invite. The former patrolman was not the only one who celebrated Aponte. The Hartford police shared Then-and-Now photos on Facebook and congratulated the graduate.

Getz said he was happy to see the little girl he saved accomplish great things. According to him, seeing how Aponte turned out and how successful she had become made his heart beat faster.

Even though he had retired, Getz desired to see other youths succeed like Aponte. He continued to give back to the Hartford community and remained active with the local chapter of the Police Athletic League, which helped empower youths through leadership programs.

This story is a reminder that there are still good people in the world who will go the extra mile to save lives. Getz risked his life to save a little girl and gave her a second chance at life. Indeed, not all heroes wear capes. Like and share this story if you think Getz is a real hero.