A father of three from Racine is recuperating at the hospital following an incident where a Racine police officer rescued him along with two dogs from a burning house shortly after midday on Tuesday.
The rescue operation near Blake Avenue and Goold Street was recorded using the officer’s body cam. According to the Racine Police Department, the footage captures Officer Golden sprinting toward the house which was fully ablaze, having neither donned protective equipment nor gathered necessary supplies.
"The officer managed to enter the house via the rear entrance and discovered an adult who had collapsed on the ground inside; he then pulled the individual out of the flaming structure," according to the fire department statement.
The fire department additionally mentioned that two children, who had already been outside the house when the firefighters got there, were also transported to the hospital.
The family residing in the house was recognized as the Therkelsen family. According to neighbors, the Therkelsens have lost all their possessions due to the fire and are currently raising funds to cover their medical expenses and accommodation costs. You can find more information through this link. GoFundMe can be found here.
"The fire approached my home with all the flames heading towards me. It was absolutely terrifying," stated Karina Martinez, her residence being adjacent.
Martinez is gathering clothing items and diapers at her residence to assist the Therkelsens in getting back on their feet.
The family informed WISN 12 News that as of Wednesday evening, the father of three remains hospitalized, whereas the two children have returned home and are in good health.
Martinez stated, "He managed to survive. He remains hospitalized. His condition has improved, yet he is still far from being well."
The firefighters estimate that the blaze resulted in approximately $63,000 worth of harm to the building structure and about $17,000 worth of loss for items within the house. Authorities are continuing their probe into the origin of the fire and mentioned that functional smoke alarms were absent from the residence.
READ MORE: Racine police officer rescues man and two dogs from flaming house
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