"He is brave. Very brave": Police officer saves man from burning apartment in Eilat

A story of heroism. A resident of Eilat was injured by flames after a fire broke out in his apartment building. A patrol officer who arrived at the scene managed to assist in his rescue by carrying him on his shoulder down three floors.

A team of patrol officers from the Eilat District Police was called early Sunday morning following reports of a fire in a third-floor apartment. Upon arrival, the officers realized there was an immediate threat to life and that swift action was required. The team quickly climbed to the third floor and attempted to breach the apartment door.

Commanding the force was patrol shift commander Chief Sergeant Yaakov Dorni (43), who arrived at the scene with his team and backup units.

"It was a three-story building on pillars, and we saw the flames on the third floor," Dorni told Maariv. "We immediately pushed forward. The door of the apartment was locked—a steel door with a strong lock. We brought a breaching kit from the patrol car and started hitting it with a heavy hammer. We didn't wait for the firefighters. We struck the door hard, each of us in turn, until after about five to seven minutes of work, it was breached. I saw the flames in the living room."

At this stage, firefighters arrived at the scene. Dorni asked them to check if there was anyone inside.

"After a short time, they brought out a man who was in serious condition. I am a paramedic by training, so I immediately noticed that. I asked one of the officers to lift him up a bit by his belt, I put my hand under his body and lifted him onto my shoulder. That is how I brought him down the stairs."

"It's lucky we got him down quickly"

On the way down, Dorni radioed the teams waiting outside that he was approaching with an injured person and requested a stretcher. "We put him on the stretcher, and they took him immediately. Later, they told us it was fortunate we got him down quickly because he was in real life-threatening danger," he said.

Shani, Dorni's wife and mother of their six children, spoke about her feelings: "This is my husband, this is Yaakov. He is brave. Very brave. This time he wore three hats: that of a police officer, a firefighter, and a medical professional. He always takes the initiative, and we are very proud of him."

For Chief Sergeant Dorni, the rescue is part of the essence of police work. "We, as the police, will always act and strive to push forward when necessary and save lives. To protect human life, property, and always provide service 24/7. Afterwards, there is a lot of pride in it. It is demanding work, but with a lot of satisfaction," he said.

Following the rescue, firefighters cleared the smoke from the building and brought the flames under control. Fire investigators have begun checking the circumstances of the blaze.