6 Rutgers students honored for saving man from his burning home

CAMDEN, N.J. -- Six Rutgers University students were honored Tuesday night for saving a 90-year-old man during a raging fire at a Camden duplex back in March.

Students Vanessa Solis Palma, Sehwan Park and Tammy Meneses were outside when they noticed flames shooting from the third floor of a nearby building.

They called 911 and started yelling. Their screams got the attention of three other students: Corey Zytko, Jonathan Perez-Gayton and Matteo Resanovic.

"Our first reaction was to go help, we dashed to the building, Corey went to get security, me and Matteo started getting people's attention from both buildings," said Jonathan Perez-Gayton. "Matteo decided to break in to get access to people inside."

Matteo Resanovic ran to the second floor where 90-year-old Albert Parker was awakened from a deep slumber.

"He doesn't understand what's happening and we're yelling 'Fire, Fire, Fire' and the only thing in his head was, 'My son, my son, my son,'" said Resanovic.

Corey Zytko explained: "his son Johnny was upstairs, he said that at least four or five times the entire night."

Unfortunately, they were unable to save Mr. Parker's son. The students, however, are grateful they were able to save the 90-year-old.

"We all just reacted to it, we were trying to look out for others, there's a lot of bad things in the world and we're just trying to be one of those good Samaritans, I guess you can say," said Zytko.

On behalf of a grateful city, Mayor Moran handed out proclamations to each of the six students, commending their roles in saving lives that night.

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