Newark Mayor Cory Booker, released from a local hospital for smoke inhalation and burns on his right hand sustained resucing his neighbor from her burning home on Thursday night, held a press conference on Friday morning, saying it was a “…really frightening experience for me. I think I did what most people would do to help their neighors out.” Booker also went on to praise the firefighters and first responders, who he said he had a new respect for after the incident.
Booker recounted the whole experience to the Newark Star-Ledger:
“I suddenly had the realization that I can’t find this woman.” Booker said. “I look behind me and see the flames and I think “I’m not going to get out of here. Suddenly I was at peace with the fact that I was going to jump out the window.”
Then he heard her cries in a back bedroom.
“I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” Booker said. The two made their way downstairs, where they both collapsed, Booker said.
Here is a video with highlights from Booker’s press conference.
