Excerpts from the Belleville-News-Democrat.com:
East St. Louis firefighters on Sunday saved an 82-year-old man from a blaze in his home. According to fire department reports, a call for help came at about 5 p.m. with reports that a home was in flames at 453 N. 14th St.
Firefighters rushed into the home to save the resident. While they were inside, a floor collapsed and temporarily trapped rescuers and the victim. A mayday call went out over firefighters’ radios during the tense scene. Firefighters were able to eventually work their way out of the burning structure with the man.
After rescuers got the victim into an ambulance, his heart stopped on the way to the hospital. He was revived and and taken to Touchette Hospital, where details about his condition were not available early Monday morning.
Don Moore identified the injured man as his uncle, retired Rev. Henry Nicholson, a former pastor at Truelight Baptist Church in East St. Louis.
