A Colorado deputy from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is being hailed as a hero after putting his own health and safety on the line to rescue Hank, a dog stuck in a burning SUV. Body camera footage from Deputy Michael Gregorek showed the officer’s arrival at the scene of an SUV which was quickly becoming engulfed in fire and full of thick black smoke.
Upon his arrival, the dog’s owner, who was visibly upset was telling Gregorek that Hank was still in the vehicle. Using his retractable baton, Deputy Gregorek began breaking windows to begin his search. After Hank’s owner unsuccessfully tried to pull him out of the rear compartment, Gregorek reached through the overpowering smoke and pulled Hank to safety.
Luckily for Hank, one of his neighbors was a veterinarian and began providing medical assistance to him.
“Once I arrived on the scene I saw a gentleman who happened to be the owner of the vehicle and the owner of the dog throwing something at the back of the vehicle,” Gregorek said, thinking the man was throwing a molotov cocktail. “He started screaming ‘My dog is in the car’ and then it switched.”
Hank was salivating and struggling to breathe. After calling Hank a few times, Gregorek realized the dog’s body was starting to tense up and he exhibited signs of smoke inhalation.
It turns out Deputy Gregorek is also a dog lover.
“It sounds tacky, but I’m a dog parent,” Gregorek said. “My only baby is my dog.”
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