Spokane police officer, driver recount flamy car rescue caught on gauze – CBS News
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Spokane police officer, driver recount flamy car rescue caught on gauze
Kim Novak, at left, and Spokane Police Officer Tim Schwering
SPOKANE, Wash. – A Spokane woman said Sunday that when her car caught fire Friday evening, she found herself trapped inwards incapable to open any doors, and begging: «God please don`t let me die this way.»
CBS Spokane affiliate KREM reports that Spokane Police Officer Tim Schwering – only a few months liquidated from training for it – got there just in time, and caught Kim Novak`s dramatic, flamy rescue on movie.
AMAZING. SPD officer saves woman from searing car. @KREM2 pic.twitter.com/jih46Y2nS3
Novak said she was driving home from the grocery store when her car hit a bump and shut down downright. Because of the power locks, she couldn`t get out, so she called home, and while leaving a voicemail, she noticed smoke.
After dangling up and calling 911, she embarked hearing crackling sounds.
«I`m realizing where there`s smoke, there`s fire and oh crap my car`s now on fire,» Novak told KREM.
The dispatcher told her to attempt to break a window, but despite all her efforts, «I didn`t even make a crack,» Novak said. «I`m screaming and I`m yelling ‘Help me` and begging and asking God please don`t let me die this way.»
As the flames and smoke grew, Novak said she panicked.
«I knew it wasn`t going to be long until it was inwards with me. I honestly thought I was going to meet my maker. I thought that was the end for me. It`s appalling,» Novak said.
However, Officer Schwering showcased up just in time, answering the fire call because he was in the area.
«When I got there, there was the car in the middle of the road that was engulfed in flames, the front end was engulfed in flames. There was a woman in the backseat,» Schwering said.
Schwering said he used his baton to break the window when it was clear Novak couldn`t get herself out.
«He was swinging on that thing like Ken Griffey Jr. in the home run derby and hammering it with all his might,» Novak said. «God bless him he didn`t give up and kept attempting to save me.»
Despite his swinging, he said he struggled to make a big enough crevice for Novak.
«It was kicking off to get a little warmer and the smoke was truly coming into the cabin so I just basically ripped the glass off with my mitts and instructed her to embark moving,» said Schwering.
He eventually made a crevice big enough in the window to get Novak out of the car.
«It was like a baby going through the birth tunnel. I was coming out,» Novak said.
A neighbor and Schwering then pulled Novak from the searing car to get her to safety. Besides some cuts and a little bit of a cough, Novak was just fine.
«He`s a hero. He didn`t have to do that. He didn`t have to stand here. The flames were so intense and close to him. He`s a police officer and could have just as lightly stood back and waited for the fire department to get here and put the flames out but then it could have been to late,» she said. «He didn`t ever give up. So he`s my hero.»
Schwering said he just kept thinking, «Stay focused and keep doing what you`re doing, just speed it up a bit.»
The youthful police officer, despite it being his very first dramatic rescue, remained modest about his deed.
«I can tell you there`s ten guys who work on my team and if any one of those guys could have gotten there before I did and any one of those guys would have done the exact same thing,» Schwering said.
