Page 7 - Patrick Barr News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Directly across the street. >> i was sitting at my desk and i saw smoke. just a little smoke coming out of the window. then i saw more. i grabbed my camera, i started shooting. >> as pearlstein zooms in on the building, he sees a man perched on a window ledge trying to escape the thick smoke. >> i'm like, oh, my god, now this is a life or death situation. help him. >> firefighters from the fdny rescue one unit arrive at the building, joining other crews already on scene. patrick barr and kevin shay now both retired were with rescue one that day. >> there was people on the street yelling and po...

>> by the time we got to the roof, i realized no one could get through the interior because there was such a large amount of fire. so they knew the only recourse was to get this guy from the roof. >> the firefighters from rescue one begin to prepare to lower barr by rope to grab the man. >> part of my equipment was the roof rope. so i brought it up, i would use it. it had to be by rope because the ladders wouldn't reach him. >> lieutenant patrick patty brown is in charge of the risky operation. he knows if the rope frays or gets burned, it could snap and anyone hanging over the edge could plum...

It's that painful and it's like you're drowning in smoke. >> barr is not yet anchored to anyone or anything. but he kicks his legs over the edge almost 200 feet above the ground to reassure the man in the window. >> patty barr is already hanging over the roof without having a rope attached to anything, letting him know not to jump. we were on our way. >> quickly shay attaches the other end of barr's rope to his own harness. >> i would be the anchor and i could grab something or somebody could grab me. >> this isn't normal procedure. typically firefighters will find a secure, stationary place t...

>> when he jumped on to me, he felt very weak and wasn't holding on to me too tight. so i grabbed him with my arms and legs. i didn't want to lose him. >> with barr holding tight to giagos, the pair is lowered to the floor below where they spin and wait. >> there was so much going on in the building that no one realized i was out there. so that's when i hit the windows to alert them i was outside. and finally somebody noticed i was out there and that's when everybody came together and pulled me in. >> with giagos safely inside the building, barr turns to acknowledge the cheering crowds below. ...

>> while other firefighters hold him down, shay lets out rope and begins slowly lowering barr. within seconds, barr is face to face with the trapped man. >> he was very exhausted and he was surprised to see me. >> standing in the smoke-filled window with the fire closing in, music producer jose giagos had been close to giving up in the seconds before barr appeared. >> i thought i was going to die. suddenly i hear a very loud voice. don't jump. don't jump. i'm here. and kind of caught my attention. and then, again, look up, look up. i open my eyes and i look up and i saw the boots and somebody ...