A dramatic scene unfolded on Manhattan's Upper East Side when a firefighter was lowered from the roof to rescue a man trapped during a six-alarm fire.
The fire broke out in a five-story building on East 93rd Street around 3 a.m.
FDNY Rescue 1 firefighter James Lee was on a rope when he went over the side of the building to rescue an 81-year-old man from a fifth floor window, the New York Daily News reported.
"You couldn't see anything over the edge, there was so much smoke and flames going out the window," Lee told WABC.
“The firefighter, with literally fire underneath him and next to him, went over the side to rescue this person.” FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard told the newspaper. “As they lowered him to the ground, just as they got through, the rope burned through.”
Lee had to calm the man as firefighters lowered them to the street.
"When we got down I said 'I hope you enjoyed the ride', and you know he sort of smiled and said 'Thanks,’” Lee said.
"A few more minutes and it would have been a totally different scenario," Lee said. "I've never done anything like this...but we train all the time for this."
The rope burned through moments after the firefighter and victim reached the ground.
The man was listed in crtiical condition.
A man was found deceased on the third floor of the building.
“We came into the hallway and it was filled with black smoke,” resident Sharon Landstrom told the newspaper. “It was so thick that we had to go down the fire escape."
EMS treated 11 people, including seven firefighters, at the scene.
Over 200 firefighters responded as the six-alarm fire threatened to spread to adjoining buildings.
The fire destroyed one building and damaged two others.
The fire was placed under control at 7:30 a.m.
