Police officers Christopher M. Olup, 34, and Robert Prochazka, 49, saved a man from a burning Willowick, Ohio, home on April 5, 2016. The 54-year-old man, who had mobility issues, discovered a fire on the first floor of his house. The man crawled to a point at least 15 feet from the front door. Olup responded to the scene with Prochazka, and they entered the house, soon retreating after being overcome with smoke that made it difficult to see. While Prochazka went to his car to retrieve a flashlight, Olup re-entered the home crawling and called out for the man, who responded. Finding him, Olup grasped his wrist, rose to a crouching position, and dragged him toward the front door. Prochazka then re-entered, crawled until he located Olup, and then pulled Olup by the belt to the front door, while Olup continued to drag the man. At the doorway, a third officer arrived to assist in carrying the man to the front lawn. Olup, Prochazka, and the man were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation. They recovered.
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