SPRING VALLEY – Two Orange and Rockland Utilities employees raced into a burning residence in Monsey on Wednesday morning and rescued an elderly man, who had been sleeping and was unaware of the fire.
The workers, Ted Ryder and James Lynch, were driving down Old Nyack Turnpike following a third O&R employee, Ross Daily.
Ryder spotted the burning house and Lynch immediately pulled over as did Dailey. Ryder reported the fire as the group left their vehicles to help.
A young woman told Ryder that her grandfather was still in burning building. Ryder, a 42-year member and former chief of the Nyack Fire Department, entered the building with Lynch to investigate.
As the men went room to room searching for any occupant, they found a curtain in the corner of the kitchen with the elderly man sleeping behind it. Ryder woke him up and Lynch led him out of the smoke-filled building while Ryder checked to be sure no one else was inside as was the case.
