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Woman Reunites With Humble Heroes Who Saved Her From Fire

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LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBSMiami) -- Body camera video on two Broward County Sheriff officers shows the dramatic rescue from a house fire in Lauderdale Lakes, where a mother and daughter made it out alive thanks to their help.

BSO Rescue House Fire
Sonia White (L) and BSO Deputy Steven Kolano (R) share a hug as they reunited days after a house fire in Lauderdale Lakes. (Source: CBS4)

Deputy So-Hyon Kim barely parked the car as she and partner Steven Kolano ran toward a house with smoke billowing out, near N.W. 47th Terrace and N.W. 43rd Street on October 17.

"I ran into the kitchen and when I looked, I saw the hood over the stove on fire," said Sonia White, 61, who was rescued, along with her 41-year-old wheelchair-bound daughter, Tamara.

White described the moment she saw flames shooting out of her kitchen. An electrical fire sparked over the stove and her home became choked, quickly filling with thick black smoke. White was desperately trying to get her daughter out when the wheelchair got stuck. Then she heard a voice call out.

"A woman's voice saying, 'Look to the light, look to the light," she recalled.

It was Deputy Kim.

Then, another voice.

"I'm coming in with her! He said, 'Get out! Get out! I said, 'No, I'm not! My daughter is in here,'" White shouted back.

"Got to the door, we went in, I couldn't see anything," said Kolano.

White said she reached for Kolano's hand, guiding him to her and her daughter. Both of them were blinded by smoke. The deputy was pitching furniture to make a way out when he made contact.

BSO Rescue House Fire
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies So-Hyon Kim (L) and Steven Kolano (R) share an embrace with Sonia White (L-C), who was rescued from a house fire on Oct. 17, 2017. (Source: CBS4)

"I said, 'I have her! I got her,'" said Kolano.

All of them made it safely outside. Now, just two weeks later, White was back at her home reuniting with her rescuers.

"Really grateful, because I don't know what I would have done," she said hugging them.

Her rescuers weren't firefighters, but deputies. And two very humble heroes.

"Just doing our job, that's what we do protect, save," said Deputy Kim.

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