Sgt. Joe Hudson of the Griffin Police Department arrived on the scene of a burning house well ahead of local firefighters. The Georgia law enforcement official was told by a frantic woman that there was a child still inside the home. Without hesitating, Hudson ran into the home to find the little boy. Thanks to the body camera that Joe wore during the incident, the public now has amazing footage of a hero at work.
“I just went straight back there looking for the child,” said Hudson. “My thoughts were to find the child.” The Griffin, Ga. police sergeant admits that he did worry about possibly failing to find the boy in time.
“I was looking everywhere and couldn’t find him. Smoke was starting to get to me, so I grabbed some clothes off her bed and put ’em to my face.”
In the video, you can see that the home is so thick with smoke that visibility is significantly impaired. When Hudson covers his face to protect his vision and airways from the smoke, it temporarily blocks the body cam. After a few agonizing moments, Joe came across the missing youngster lying in a crib. Joe Hudson quickly and carefully grabs the child and makes a run for it.
Even though both are safe outside of the home, Hudson can be heard coughing on the camera. Luckily, the officer didn’t suffer any serious injury related to smoke inhalation. As for the young child that Joe saved, he was also in clear.
The body camera that Hudson was wearing came to the Griffin Police Department via donations by Waffle House . The police department began using the cameras on January 1, 2015.
As the incredible footage goes viral, many are hailing Sgt. Joe Hudson as a hero. He has remained humble, responding to praise that he only did what he is paid to do.
“I did what I get paid to do. I’m supposed to do what others might not, so that’s what I did. I earned my paycheck.”
Others get paid to rescue victims from fires like this; sadly, they aren’t always as dedicated as Hudson. Two firemen caused international outrage when they took selfies of themselves in front of a burning structure where 17 people died. The two men were fired a short time later.
Fortunately for one Georgia family, Joe Hudson was on the scene to do his job and not show off for the camera. And yet, he unwittingly did just that.
[Image Credit: USA Today Youtube /WXIA]
