'Smoke Going In My Throat': Woman Rescued From Burning NW Miami-Dade Home
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A woman who was trapped inside her burning northwest Miami-Dade home shared details about the dramatic rescue, giving credit to her son and firefighters for saving her life.
Sixty-four-year-old Rosa Williams is thankful she's alive.
"Thank God, I'm feeling better," Williams said.
Williams, who was still in her hospital gown, talked to CBS4's Ty Russell moments after leaving Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Williams was trapped inside her Northwest Miami-Dade home while it was on fire 4:30 Sunday morning. She lives there with her son.
"I banged on the door with the smoke going in my throat. I banged and jumped back out from his room to my room. I went to the window and just breathed the air and yelled call 911," Williams said.
Her 45-year-old son quickly jumped into action to help save his mother.
"I jumped out the window. Went around the other side to get to my mom's, that was my priority," Cedrick Cooper said.
He then tried to help her escape through a window. Miami-Dade firefighters arrived just in time to help out.
"I thank God they came and grabbed me and helped her. I would've stayed and not let go until somebody else grabbed her. I would've died for her. That's my mom," Cooper said.
Firefighters described what they saw when they first arrived.
"So much smoke coming out. The heat was starting to build. We just happened to arrive at the right time," Lt. Ramiro Mayorga said.
The family has lived at the home on NW 30th Ave. near 62nd St. in the county's Brownsville neighborhood for more than a decade.
They don't know where or how the fire started, but they are thankful they made it out of harm's way.
"A little shaken as usual. Shaken," she said.
Now, Williams and her son will try to move forward and eventually see exactly what was damaged at their home.
Even though they don't know what sparked flames, firefighters are investigating.
Williams said she has spoken to the Red Cross. It's unclear what their current plan is.
