BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Just two weeks ago, New Haven firefighters responded to a heavy fire at home. That fire took the life of Firefighter Ricardo Torres, who was remembered on Friday at his funeral.
It also landed a second firefighter, Lieutenant Samod Rankins, in the hospital with severe injuries. But he was released from the Yale New Haven Bridgeport Hospital on Sunday.
"It's been a long 11, 12 days. We're just glad he was able to walk out of here," said Lanesha Taylor, sister of Samod Rankins.
Taylor has been counting her blessings as she waited patiently for her brother to see daylight again.
Rankins' brother, Sameir Rankins, told FOX61 he remembered the morning he got the phone call where the bad news was delivered to him.
"I got a call at two in the morning, I happened to be up, I woke my family up and alerted them and it was just a continuous process from the hospital to here," said Sameir Rankins, brother of Samod Rankins.
The fire was called in the morning of May 12. A mayday call was put out by Torres who was on the second floor of the home.
Officials said Torres reported being lost and disoriented. When other firefighters arrived, they found Torres and Rankins unconscious. Their air supply ended up being empty.
Torres was pronounced dead at the hospital and Rankins was critically injured at the moment until Sunday when he was released.
Their fellow colleagues showed support for both men.
"Just happy he's getting out here okay, we got his back and support, he's one of our brothers as well as the Torres family," said Capt. John Twohill of the New Haven Fire Department.
"We're always going to be here. that's not just going to end today or this week. I'm talking about forever," said Lt. Patrick Sheiffele of the New Haven Fire Department.
The crowd began cheering and clapping once Rankins slowly tip-toed out with his walker.
"That young man suffered significant damage to all his systems and the emotional trauma is going to have a long-term effect on him," said New Haven Fire Chief John Alston.
While it may be a long-term effect from losing a colleague, but it will be a positive reminder of two, strong men who put people's lives first before theirs.
"Over the past week and a half, we've experienced in so many ways incredible pain. At the same time, it's just been moment after moment of inspiration," said Mayor Justin Elicker.
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