'He is a hero': CTV Montreal camera operator saves man from house fire
A CTV News Montreal camera operator is being hailed as a hero after he helped a man escape a burning home over the weekend.
Cosmo Santamaria wasn't working Friday night when he saw flames shooting from a driveway on Ruisseau-des-Anges Sud in St-Roch-de-l'Achigan, about 50 km north of Montreal.
Usually, his first instinct is to take out his camera and hit record, but he says something was different this time.
"I had the phone in my hand, and I go, 'Wait a minute, the fire department is not here. I need to take charge,'" says Santamaria, who has worked as CTV's overnight patroller for 15 years.
He pulled over and spoke with a neighbour who said they had called 911 and that no one was inside the home.
"I paused for a bit, hesitated, and thought, 'there's a car parked in front of the house…I don't think the house is empty,'" he said.
He knocked on doors and windows all around the home—but no one answered.
Instead of giving up, he waited a few minutes and then tried again. Finally, a man answered the door.
"I go, 'Your car is on fire. Get your shoes on and get out of your house because the house is starting to catch fire,'" said Santamaria.
The man had been sleeping, and it appeared no fire alarm was activated, said Santamaria.
Video he captured from the scene shows the home engulfed in flames as firefighters arrive.
The fire chief for the Montcalm regional county municipality (MRC) praised Santamaria's quick thinking and selflessness.
"I think that today we can say that he is a hero because he chose not to think about himself first," said Chief François Thivierge. "I think it's important to highlight that courage, too. It's an act of civic-mindedness in itself, and it's a kind of collective contribution."
Thivierge says Santamaria will be recommended for an award for his actions.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says the fire is considered suspicious and it has taken over the investigation.
- With files from CTV News Montreal's Christine Long
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.