FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) – The heroic actions of two Florence County Sheriff’s Deputies are getting a lot of attention on Facebook. News13 spoke with one of the deputies who saved a woman from a burning car Sunday night.
A woman from Florida may not have made it out of the burning car if Deputy Tyler Urquhart and Corporal William Odom were not in the right place at the right time.
When they arrived to the crash, the fire was moving from the engine into the cab of the car. Odom used a fire extinguisher to push the flames back.
“I remember saying Odom it getting hot, Odom it’s getting hot,” Urquhart said.RELATED STORY: VIDEO: Florence deputies called ‘hero’ after saving woman from fiery 18-wheeler crash
The woman was pinned under the dashboard and Urquhart had to lay the seat all the way back. Then he pulled the woman through the back seat.
Urquhart said, “I just kept yanking and yanking until she finally got loose. Then when I got her out, I drug her to the other side of the interstate.”
“It was close, we were lucky,” Urquhart adds.
Deputy Urquhart’s experience as a firefighter and EMT helped him quickly decide the best way to save the woman.
Major Mike Nunn said Deputy Urquhart comes from a family of public servants.
“Public service is a part of Tyler’s DNA,” said Nunn. “Tyler is just falling into the family business. And he is doing a fine job,” Nunn adds.
Urquhart said the support from social media has been overwhelming but he says he is not a hero. He was just doing his job.
“I’m not a hero, God put me where I need to be and made sure things got done,” Urquhart said.
SC Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash.
