Tech Basketball Player Saved By Billboard Repairman

Published May 8, 2010 at 10:26 a.m.

(WSB Radio) Georgia Tech basketball player D'Andre Bell was among those rescued from a burning downtown Atlanta apartment building Friday.

The fire started just before  2 p.m. Friday at the Centennial Place Village Apartments in the 500 block of McAfee Street in the Techwood area of Atlanta.

"I was hanging by my fingers," Bell told WSB-TV he was trying to jump from a top-floor window when billboard repairman Taft Hooks came to his aid with a ladder.

"We just looked up and (saw Bell) trying to take the screen of the window," said Hooks, who is training to be a volunteer firefighter. "Pretty tough deal with everyone screaming at you to get down. He took it well. He got down the ladder, no problem."

"I didn't panic," said Bell. " I didn't panic. It was like I wanted to, but I just couldn't."

50 firefighters were called in to put out the two-alarm fire. They were putting out hot spots around 10 p.m.

Investigators do not know what started the blaze. No injuries were reported. Nine units are damaged, seven are destroyed.

 

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