The moments when two deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department rescued a 100-year-old woman who was trapped inside her Altadena senior living facility while the Eaton Fire raged nearby are captured in recently released body camera film.
It occurred on January 8, just hours after the Eaton Canyon fire broke out and quickly spread throughout the surrounding area before making its way to Altadena.
As the situation worsened, LASD sent deputies to the neighborhood to look for anyone who needed assistance fleeing, including the elderly living center where the woman lived, one of hundreds of locations under an urgent evacuation order.
“Deputies Nicholas Martinez and Quinn Alkonis, assigned to the Carson Station, were part of the extensive deployment responding to the wildfire emergency,” the department stated in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. “Tasked with evacuating any remaining residents and with flames advancing rapidly, they recognized that every second mattered.”
The video captures the two sprinting through the senior living center’s hallways while yelling for anyone who might still be there and using flashlights to find their way because the power was off.
“As the two deputies worked together, they heard a faint voice echoing from a distant hallway,” the statement continued. “Without hesitation, they rushed to investigate and discovered a 100-year-old woman, disoriented and struggling to find her way out.”
She can be seen in the video claiming that she was having trouble locating an exit and that, because she was deaf and her hearing aids were charging at the time of the pandemonium, she was unable to hear anything.
The woman is heard telling the deputies, “Don’t lose me,” as they start to remove her from the building.
“I promise you I won’t,” counters Deputy Martinez.
As they returned from walking their dog, they carefully escorted the woman and another resident who was likewise oblivious to the wildfire. They conducted a desperate search after that woman warned them that there might be another person within the building.
Sheriff Robert Luna said, “These deputies acted quickly in the face of hardship.” “Their prompt action under tremendous strain is a real testament to their dedication. I applaud them and every deputy who responded to the flames for their unshakable commitment to the community and their heroic efforts to save lives in the face of such danger. They deserve our utmost respect and appreciation because of their bravery and selflessness, which epitomize the greatest principles of law enforcement.”