The following is a release from the St. Joseph County Police Department:

St. Joseph County – March 8, 2020 – Yesterday March 7th, while responding to call of a resident trapped in a fire, two St. Joseph County Police Officers rescued a 93-year-old woman from a burning home. At approximately 11:13 am Saturday first responders were dispatched to the 11700 block of Lincolnway in Osceola for a structure fire with a person trapped inside.

Corporal Chris Boling of County Police was the first to arrive on scene. When he arrived, Boling was informed by home-owner Marvin Buwa that his 93-year-old mother-in-law Clara Webb was bed-ridden and still inside the burning home. Marvin showed Corporal Boling the first-floor bedroom window of the elderly woman. Fire was visible coming from the out of the structure of house just next to the window.

Corporal Boling then went to an open front door and yelled inside and could hear a female voice inside asking for help. Boling attempted to crawl inside of the residence on his stomach, but only made it a few feet beyond the doorway before having to turn back because lack of visibility and choking on the heavy smoke. Corporal Boling then remembered his department issued gas mask and ran to retrieve it from his car.

With the gas mask, Boling was able to enter the home and find the woman’s bedroom. Flames began to enter the bedroom as Boling lifted the woman from her bed and placed her onto the floor. While Boling was inside the bedroom, Corporal Jay Duley arrived on scene and attempted to enter the front door, however he also succumbed to the smoke and could not enter more than a couple feet inside the home. Duley could then hear Boling shouting and coming nearer to him. Corporal Boling had begun carefully dragging the woman toward the front door, being careful not to harm her previously broken hip.

Once near the front door Corporal Boling and Corporal Duley both picked up the woman and carried her out to the front yard and covered her with blanket while medics provided medical attention. “Clara had been inside the burning house for ten minutes before the officer pulled her out,” said Buwa when asked about the incident. He continued, “in my book she would not have made it without those two county police officers.” Buwa believes the home will be demolished due to structural damage cause by the fire.

Ms. Webb and both officers were all transported to area hospitals for medical treatment and later released Saturday. Both officers were treated for smoke inhalation and escalated carbon dioxide levels and were back on their patrol beat at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Their supervisor has nominated Corporals Boling and Duley for Commendations for the life-saving efforts.

“When the news seems to be filled with negative news about police officers, it can be easy to forget that we have a small army of officers out here daily working hard to keep our community safe however they can,” stated Sheriff Bill Redman about the actions of the two officers and his departments commitment to the community.