Watch dramatic bodycam footage of Barrow deputy rescuing infant from Winder apartment fire

By Joe Johnson

Responding to an apartment building fire in Winder last Tuesday, Barrow County Deputy Jhancarlos Arango risked his life to rescue a baby girl trapped inside one of the units.

Thick smoke made reaching the second floor nearly impossible, but Arango followed the infant’s cries and crawled through the darkness to reach her.

Bodycam footage captured the intense moment as Arango, struggling to breathe, carried the baby to safety before collapsing from the smoke. Both he and the child were treated for smoke inhalation.

The deputy later said that he was thinking of his own daughter during the rescue and he was thankful that he was able to help rescue the baby. “I get to live my life knowing she can get to live her life and get to grow up,” Arango said. “That’s the highest reward I can get in this profession.”