NJ cops and firefighters catch baby dropped from 2nd floor of burning building

NEW JERSEY - Firefighters and police officers in New Jersey caught a baby that a frantic dad dropped out of a burning second-story apartment.

It happened around 8:30 a.m. in South Brunswick.

Images and video shared by the South Brunswick Police Department showed heavy flames and black smoke pouring out of the roof of the three-story unit in the South Ridge Apartments.

Crews saw a man sticking his head out of a second-floor window of the apartment that was on fire.

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(South Brunswick Police Department)

Sergeant William Merkler, Patrolman First Class Ryan Bartunek, Detective Sergeant John Penney, and Fire Chief Chris Perez ran below the window where the man threw a child out.

The police officers and the firefighter caught the child.

Seconds later the father also jumped headfirst from the second-floor window and was caught by officers. Both the child and father received only minor injuries.

Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith called it a "team effort" — firefighters from his department as well as Kendall Park, Kingston, Plainsboro, Jamesburg, Monroe, Brookview, and North Brunswick all helped South Brunswick fight the fire. 

"We were faced with extremely heavy fire conditions immediately on arrival, along with reports of people still inside," Smith said. "Fortunately, all of the occupants were able to escape the fire. If this fire was earlier in the morning when people may have still been asleep, the outcome could have easily been tragic."

There were two other minor injuries in the fire and only one person was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The Red Cross was at the scene to help around 50 people who had to leave their apartments.