Three humble heroes emerged from the smoke and rubble of a blaze that claimed the lives of a veteran firefighter and a couple in the South Bronx over the weekend.
The city is mourning the loss of firefighter Donald Franklin, a father of six who died of a heart attack after extinguishing the flames.
But an 87-year-old man was clinging to life after being pulled from the blaze by a young man and his friend, who rushed into the building at 320 E. 166th St. in the Morrisania section.
Eugene Adams, 19, and his friend Zebediah Hart, 23, climbed four flights of stairs and repeatedly kicked at the door to the burning apartment until it gave way.
“When it opened, there was black smoke everywhere,” Adams said. “My friend yelled, ‘Is anybody inside?’ and a guy yelled back, ‘Yeah, me!’
“I tried to walk in like a fool, but I couldn’t take it.”
So Adams, his friend, and a mystery good Samaritan formed a human rescue chain.
Adams peeled off his coat, laid on his belly and – with Hart holding on to his legs and the unknown man, who’d followed them in, holding on to Hart’s legs – Adams went in.
“I crawled all the way in, I’d say about 20 feet … I grabbed him [the victim] by his legs and pulled him out,” Adams said.
People in the neighborhood were patting his back and calling him a hero, but Adams shakes off the title.
“I would’ve done this for anybody. The thing on my mind was that there was an older person in there, and I figured they couldn’t get out.
“So I did what I had to do,” said the young father of a baby girl, who spends much of his time studying for his GED and playing video games.
“It’s not about being a hero,” he said. “It’s about heart. Not too many people got a kind heart to do a thing like we did.
“Not too many people will run into a burning building.”
The people who do – firefighters – were grieving for their fallen comrade yesterday.
About 15 minutes after knocking out the blaze, Franklin, 42, suffered a heart attack and died.
Mayor Giuliani visited Ladder Co. 44 on Morris Avenue to express his condolences.
Franklin was a 16-year veteran of the department. He is survived by his wife, Linda, and five children ranging in ages 5 to 16, as well as a stepson, 8.
Firefighter Sal Loscuito described Franklin as a fun guy who took pride in being a great firefighter.
“Everybody loved Donnie,” Loscuito said. “He was one of our guys. Right now, the house is heartbroken. We can’t believe this happened.
“It’s like losing somebody in your own family.”
The blaze also claimed the lives of Nathaniel and Jean Barnes. Mann Smith, the 87-year-old pulled from the fire, remained in critical condition last night at Lincoln Hospital.