An off-duty paramedic became the center of attention in Marion County for his life-saving efforts after a driver became trapped in a burning car. Stephen Cabrera, a critical care paramedic with Marion County Fire Rescue, was heralded following the incident near Ocala on Monday morning. While on his way to work, Cabrera encountered onlookers surrounding the flaming wreckage where, according to an interview with WSAZ, "It was literally 20 seconds and the outcome would have been much worse."
After a bystander had used a piece of the vehicle to break a window open, Cabrera discovered that an airbag pinned the driver, effectively preventing their escape. Wrapped by flames inside the passenger compartment, the trapped individual was actively getting burned on the right side of the body, Cabrera recounted. “There were flames inside the passenger compartment. He was actively getting burned on the right side of the body, so at that point, I had a knife where I was able to cut the seatbelt and the airbags away and we were able to open up the car door to pull him out from the car,” as he told WSVN. Checking the vehicle afterwards, Cabrera confirmed that no other individuals were present.
Cabrera, boasting nearly two decades of service, described the rescue as part of an ingrained instinct, “I have almost 20 years. June will be 20 years with Marion County Fire Rescue, so it’s kind of instinct nowadays, so I just kind of did what any first responder across the state would have done,” he said in a statement to WSVN. Deflecting personal glory, Cabrera accredited those without formal training who leapt into action, claiming, “I think they’re the real heroes in this because it’s second nature for me and all the other first responders that I work with, but for them to stop without any training, that’s pretty extraordinary for them.”
The driver, while experiencing significant harm, is expected to survive their ordeal as per reports from Marion County Fire Rescue.
