(NewsNation) — Dramatic bodycam footage shows police officers running into a burning home after learning 9-year-old Owen was still inside, and successfully pulling him out to safety.
NewsNation spoke to Owen’s mother Karen McGinnis as he took his first step since being hospitalized.
His mom shared video of Owen from his hospital bed, thankful to see him smile again.
“To see him sitting up now, and looking over at me and smiling, you know — just talking — is all I prayed for,” McGinnis said.
Last month, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputies Alexander Maldonado and Kevin Reich saved Owen’s life. The dramatic rescue was captured on bodycam video. The two deputies talked Owen out of a smoke-filled room, and pulled him to safety through a window.
Owen is now at Tampa General Hospital, recovering from second- and third-degree burns to his face and arm. He is also being treated for smoke inhalation. He was sedated and on a ventilator to give his body time to heal.
As he recovers, Owen is now talking again. With the help of medical staff, he took his first steps since the fire.
While his mom said the boy has not said much about the fire, he has learned a lot about the deputies who saved his life.
“Don’t you think that was pretty cool that they rescued you?” McGinnis asked her son, and Owen agreed.
