Retired officer attends graduation of girl he rescued 18 years ago

HARTFORD, Conn. — A retired police officer has reunited with a girl whose life he saved nearly two decades ago.

Peter Getz was a detective in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1998, he stepped in and rushed a 5-year-old girl to a hospital after her apartment was destroyed by fire.

Getz loaded Josi Aponte into his police car and performed CPR as his partner drove to the hospital.

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"I'm told that if he would have just waited a few more seconds for the ambulance to come in, I could have died," Aponte told NBC Connecticut.

Her cousin died in the fire and Aponte suffered third-degree burns.

Getz visited her during her month-long stay in the hospital and also found support for her family who had moved to Connecticut from Venezuela shortly before the fire, NBC Connecticut reported.

Nearly 18 years later, that little girl marched in her graduation from Eastern Connecticut State University, and Getz was there to see her.

Aponte said she used Facebook to find Getz so she could invite him to the ceremony.

They have stayed in touch since reconnection on Facebook.

Cox Media Group