MIDDLEBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - The mother of a man with special needs is praising a state trooper who pulled him from a burning building in Middleboro early Tuesday morning.
Trooper John Hagerty from the Middleboro barracks had been patrolling the area of West Grove Street around 1:15 a.m. when he noticed that Acorn Hill Home was on fire, state police said. A dozen people had left the building and the attached rooming house where the blaze had begun, but Hagerty learned that one person remained inside on the third floor on the left side of the house.
“(Hagerty) threw a ground ladder that happened to be there and assisted the man out the window,” said Middleboro Fire Chief Lance Benjamino.
The man, identified as Patrick Sullivan, suffered serious burns to his body and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit, Benjamino said. Sullivan’s mother, Lyn Cronin, said he was living on his own for the first time.
“He woke up to the fire alarms going off and people yelling to get out and he could not get out his door the fire was already right there,” Cronin said.
Cronin was was able to visit her son at the hospital, and was also able to visit Hagerty, who was taken to Morton Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and then released.
“He risked his life to save my son. If he wasn’t there, I don’t know what would have happened,” Cronin said. “I started crying and I had to hug him and he was very humble like it was just part of his job and to me it’s not. To me it’s going above and beyond … I just can’t thank Trooper Hagerty enough – he’s definitely our hero.”
“Our thoughts are with the victim this morning,” state police wrote on Twitter. “We’re proud of Tpr Hagerty and grateful to all who responded and assisted.”
Two additional residents were evaluated at the scene but declined to be transported to the hospital, according to Benjamino.
There were no reported injuries to firefighters.
The home has been deemed a total loss.
The American Red Cross is assisting the 13 residents who were displaced due to the blaze.
The cause remains under investigation but officials say candle in the second floor living room may be to blame.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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