CLINTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – An elderly woman, who had been trapped by a fire in her home, was rescued on Saturday afternoon by a Clinton Township police officer and the Town of Clinton fire chief.
On Oct. 5, at around 3:30 p.m. Clinton Township police officers responded to a report of smoke inside a residence at 15 Westchester Terrace in the Beaver Brook section of Clinton Township, police said.
Upon arrival, Patrol Officer Michael Malanga observed heavy smoke billowing from the front door. Alongside Town of Clinton Fire Chief Jeff Hedden, Officer Malanga approached the entrance and heard a female voice calling for help from within the apartment. Despite the hazardous smoke, they both entered the residence and located a 90-year-old woman trapped in the bathroom, close to the flames, police said.
Officer Malanga and Fire Chief Hedden quickly pulled the victim away from the flames. Officer Malanga carried her to a waiting ambulance, while Chief Hedden retrieved a fire extinguisher from his vehicle to attempt to combat the fire, police said.
The elderly woman was flown to Saint Barnabas Hospital in Livingston and her condition is currently unknown. Officer Malanga was transported to Hunterdon Medical Center, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and later released, police said.
