Content via Daily Mail
A hero cop has been reunited [with] the girl he saved from a deadly apartment fire almost twenty years ago.
Josibel Aponte was just five years old in 1998 when her Connecticut home went up in flames, in a blaze that claimed the life of her uncle and would have almost certainly killed her, if not for her ‘savior’ Peter Getz.
The dramatic rescue was captured in a powerful newspaper photograph which showed the retired police detective carrying the ash-covered unconscious girl in his arms.
Now Aponte has been reunited with her rescuer, without whom she would not be here today.
Peter Getz rescued then five-year-old Josibelk Aponte from an apartment fire in 1998. The rescue was captured in a powerful newspaper photograph which showed Getz carried the ash-covered unconscious girl in his arms
Now Aponte has been reunited with her rescuer Getz who joined her as she graduated magna cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University
‘I almost died, but I was given a second chance at life,’ she said. ‘And it was because of Peter and all the authorities, everyone who came to help that day.’
On Tuesday, she invited Getz to join her as she graduated magna cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University, Courant reports.
‘There are only a few moments that are so important in life,’ Aponte said. ‘I wanted to share my graduation with everyone who’s important to me, who have been there for me, and who helped me through tough times.’
On that fateful day on June 25, 1998, Getz said he had [been] called out to a fire in the Aponte’s apartment on Washington Street.
On that fateful day on June 25, 1998, Getz said he had called out to a fire in the Aponte’s apartment on Washington Street (pictured)
The huge blaze, claimed the life of Aponte’s uncle Jofrey and had almost killed her if not for her ‘savior’
He arrived at the scene just in time to see a firefighter carrying a young girl out of the burning building. Before he could react, the youngster was thrust into his arms as the fire crews ran back into the building to fight the flames.
Acutely aware that Aponte was not breathing and did not have a pulse, Getz said he fled back to the patrol car where he immediately began to perform CPR.