Construction Worker Describes Daring Rescue From Houston Fire

A Houston construction worker who was saved in a dramatic rescue after getting stuck on a fifth-floor ledge as fire consumed a massive apartment complex said Wednesday that he knew he had to act quickly to save himself.

"I said, 'I'm going to die right here. I got to do something,'" Curtis Reissig, 56, told reporters outside of his home in Conroe, Texas.

"I said, 'God, you got to get me out of here.'"

Reissig suffered minor burns to his face and hand in Tuesday's fire, which destroyed the planned $50 million luxury apartment complex.

He said that once he realized he was stuck on the fifth floor and flames got closer and hotter, he decided to swing down to the fourth-floor ledge.

There, he was spotted by firemen at the scene, who drove a fire truck with an extended ladder toward him, so he could jump on it.

The harrowing rescue was caught on video by Karen Jones, who works in a nearby office.

"We were all near the windows. People were afraid," Jones said. "People were just wondering, 'Oh, gosh, is this man going to make it?' Are they going to get to him?'"

The cause of the fire was under investigation Wednesday.

— Becky Bratu and Krista Brunson

First published March 26th 2014, 6:43 pm