Off-duty officers help rescue man

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) - Two off-duty Lockport Police officers were joined by two on-duty officers to save a 69-year-old man trapped in the basement of a burning home.

On Monday around 3:30 p.m., 911 received a call from a woman saying her house on Hawley Street was on fire and her husband was still inside. Lockport Police and Lockport Fire responded, but before they arrived, off-duty police officers Lt. Todd Chenez and Officer Michael Stover happened to be jogging by.

Seeing the woman running down the driveway, frantically waving her arms, Lt. Chenez and Officer Stover sprung into action. Both ran to the back door, got inside and went into the basement, where the 69-year-old man was located. Both officers were unable to lift the man up the stairs and with the amount of smoke increasing, they were forced to retreat.

But after being joined by police Officers Anthony Pittman and Heather Rohde, they quickly re-entered. Together, all four were able to lift the large man from his basement. He was taken to Eastern Niagara Health in Lockport before being taken to ECMC. His name and condition have not been released.

Lt. Chenez, as well as Officers Pittman and Rohde were treated at Eastern Niagara Health for smoke inhalation and released. Officer Stover was treated at the same hospital before being admitted into the intensive care unit for observation.

Lockport Fire continue to investigate the cause of the blaze.