3 Officers Create 'Human Chain' To Rescue Teen From Blaze

GRAYSLAKE, IL -- A 17-year-old boy is in critical condition after being pulled from a house fire in Grayslake early Tuesday. Three police officers rushed into "extremely smoky conditions" in the burning home in the 400 block of Normandy Lane at about 12:34 a.m. Tuesday to get to the teen who was trapped in an upstairs bedroom.

After several unsuccessful attempts at entering the home, the officers formed a "human chain," crouching down and holding onto each other as they navigated their way through heavy smoke to get to the teen, ABC 7 Chicago reports. A neighbor attempted to rescue the boy before police arrived but was overcome by the smoke.

"They couldn't see, so they were all in constant contact with each other through touch. That's how they went up the stairs," Grayslake Police Chief Phil Perlini told ABC 7. "They could hear him breathing and moaning and groaning as they went up the stairs. They are feeling every step of the way. They went up and finally felt a shoulder, I believe, and they pulled him down the stairs."

The victim was first taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center and then to the burn unit at Loyola University Medical in Maywood in critical condition, police said.

The Daily Herald reports the victim is a 17-year-old boy.

The police officers were taken to local hospitals. Two of the officers have been treated and released while the third is being treated for injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

Damage estimates and the cause of the blaze has not yet been released.

The Grayslake Fire Protection District is investigating the fire with assistance from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Grayslake Fire Protection District received assistance at the scene from Round Lake, Libertyville, Gurnee, Newport, Mundelein, and Lake Zurich fire departments with crews from Spring Grove, Antioch, Countryside and Knollwood providing station coverage.

More via ABC 7 News

Photo via Shutterstock