(WRGB) – Two young children trapped in a rollover crash in Catskill were reunited with the firefighter who pulled them out.
The children’s grandmother said since the accident, all they’ve been talking about is the fireman who rescued them. On Tuesday, five-year-old Jacob and three-year-old Jace saw their hero again.
Tammy Bernardino said on Easter Sunday, the boys were heading to church with their other grandparents when the van they were in swerved and flipped onto its side.
All four were trapped inside until Patrick McCulloch came to their rescue.
Catskill Fire Department’s First Assistant Chief, Patrick McCulloch said, “I started thinking to myself ‘oh it’s a holiday, God let all these people in there be safe,’ you know?”
McCulloch said he crawled on his hands and knees through the back of the van to get to the children.
“As I’m digging through I see their Easter baskets and their chocolate bunnies and stuff and you know, it hits you.”
He said it’s because they were strapped correctly in car seats, the boys were okay — but he needed their help to get them out.
“You know it’s been a while since I’ve had a kid in that kind of a car seat. They were talking to me on how to unbuckle them so it was cool.”
Once they were freed, Jacob and Jace soon realized the contents of their Easter baskets didn’t do as well.
The Ladies Auxiliary got to work putting together new baskets full of treats and the boys were surprised with them Tuesday night at the firehouse.
