Construction Worker Rescued From Houston Fire Felt His Skin Burning
A construction worker who was rescued from a burning apartment building in Houston said today he was so close to the flames that he could feel his skin burning.
Curtis Reissig told ABC News' Houston-owned station KTRK-TV that he raced through the smoke-filled building on Tuesday looking for a way out.
"It's burning my eyes, my throat. I can't breathe and I can't hardly see anything," Reissig said. "I could see a window. I went to that window. Trying to open that window in a panic. I couldn't get the thing open. Smoke was getting heavier, just trying to get some air."
"At that point, I said, 'I'm going to die right here.'" he told KTRK. " I said, 'God, you have to help me. You got to help me out here.'"
Reissig managed to jump down from a fifth story balcony to a ledge below. The dramatic moment firefighters pulled him to safety was captured on video.
Miraculously, everyone was accounted for at the construction site and no injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.