18 years after, Police officer who carried a young girl to safety, attends her college graduation (photos)

 In June 1998, a retired Hartford, Connecticut Police officer named Peter Getz, carried a young girl to safety away from a building on fire. He rescued ‘Josibek Aponte’, who was already covered in ash at the time she was found, after the apartment building she and her uncle were living in erupted in flames while they were inside. The young girl was just 5-year-old then, wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse when she was pulled out.

Peter Getz who was on patrol at that time, took her from the firefighters, and began CPR. He had someone drive his car and rush them to the hospital while still performing CPR on her. Thankfully, his quick thinking helped as she began breathing again as they pulled into the hospital. Her Uncle on the other hand, didn’t survive the fire and passed away from the injuries sustained.

Peter Getz said he followed her progress for years in the school system, just to make sure she was doing well and two years ago, she reached out to him. Last week, Josibek Aponte graduated with honours from the Eastern Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a special guest there was the retired detective, who she said was an important part of her life.