Cop Climbs Building To Rescue Baby From Third-Floor Balcony During Apartment Fire [Video]

A Florida deputy rushed to the rescue of a 1-year-old that was trapped in a burning building with her mother. The dramatic scene unfolded Saturday morning after a two-alarm fire broke out at an apartment complex in Orlando.

Cops arrived at around 4:15 a.m. and found the mother and baby trapped on a third-floor balcony of the Isles at East Millenia complex. Flames could be seen coming out of the apartment, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Deputy William Puzynski, who was patrolling the area when he got the call about the fire, said the scene was chaotic when he reached the apartment complex.

“When I got here, we saw the building fully engulfed. It was chaos everywhere,” Puzynski told News 6 WKMG.

Puzynski recalled families being stuck on each floor, and some residents were hanging on the balconies as smoke billowed out of the three-story building. His attention went immediately to a mother and baby when he heard the child screaming from one of the balconies.

“I saw on the third balcony there’s a 1-year-old baby that the mom was trying to get over. At that moment I knew I had to save the baby,” the deputy told the outlet.

Puzynski climbed up the building while his fellow deputies assisted him.

“I just climbed up to the third, grabbed the baby, and then again I handed the baby down to my partners and they helped me down,” he continued. “Afterwards when the mom came and found me, she actually gave me a hug, so it was rewarding.”

Orange County Fire Rescue (OCFR) also arrived at the scene and began rescuing the remaining residents still trapped inside the building.

“They threw ladders to the building and they were able to get everybody safely,” OCFR Battalion Chief Steve Sherrill said, according to the outlet.

The rescue crew brought all the occupants to safety within an hour of receiving the call about the fire. The mother and grandmother of the baby rescued from the balcony were also brought to safety with a ladder.

"It’s a different feeling. Some nights you go home, and you don’t really know if you’ve made a difference, but in situations like this, you feel it," Puzynski told the outlet.

Officials said 12 apartment units were impacted by the fire and three, including a child, were hurt. As per OCFR, occupants of all 24 units in the complex had to vacate as the power supply to the building had to be shut off.

The State Fire Marshal is investigating the fire, which they believe started on the first floor.

“The State Fire Marshal comes out depending on the extent of the damage or if there’s suspicion of illegal activity,” OCFR Battalion Chief Chris Henesy told the publication. “At this point, that’s under investigation.”