Dad Being Burned by Fire Throws Age 3 Daughter off 3rd Story Balcony to Save Her Life
A massive fire raged through an apartment building in Georgia, and one of the miraculous moments from the rescue was caught on video. Lance Ragland was at the top of the ladder with flames licking his back when he decided to act quickly.
“My wife and seven other kids went down the ladder one by one then fell off and into the arms of other firefighters,” Ragland told WAGA-TV.
“But by the time it was Destiny’s turn, we were out of time. So I did what I had to do.”
Ragland was burning, and he knew it would be only minutes until the fire spread to his 3-year-old daughter. So, he tossed her down three stories to one of the firefighters below.
Captain Jackie Peckrul’s sure hands were waiting at the bottom of the ladder. She caught Destiny and rushed her to safety.
“That was the only thing running through my mind… ‘Lord, let me catch this baby,'” Peckrul said.
Now that the video of her miraculous catch has circulated through social media, most people are referring to her as a hero.
“There’s no better feeling in the world,” Peckrul responded when asked about the life-saving catch. “Never want to see any parent lose a child.”
Ragland’s fast thinking is also gaining a lot of celebration online. He doesn’t consider himself a hero, though.
“I don’t consider what I did to be above and beyond,” Ragland said. “I had to do it, but to see all the love is amazing.”
Now, the Ragland family and the other families in the building are focusing on rebuilding their lives.
Most of the people lost everything in the fire, and are receiving donations that will help them get back on their feet.
“I didn’t have anything but the shirt on my back,” Saloie Cofer, one of the people displaced by the fire, said. “It was so nice to see there are still good people in this world.”
For Ragland, he’s just happy he and his family escaped with their lives. He suffered second-degree burns, but it’s a small price to pay for his life and the lives of his children.
“Thank you for every ounce of love, all of the donations, for every prayer lifted,” Ragland said of the outpouring of support.
“We appreciate it, but let’s remember to be like this every day, not just to my family because we went through something like this, but all the time. It’s how we are supposed to be.”
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