Sask. RCMP officers recognized for saving woman from smoke-filled house

Two Southey RCMP officers are being recognized for saving a non-responsive woman from a smoke filled home in November 2022.

According to a release from RCMP, officers received a call shortly before 5 a.m. requesting a wellness check on the wellbeing of a woman at a home.

The two officers, constables Brandyn McCartney and Jacob Jungheim arrived at the residence and noted several lights were on when they arrived.

“Initially what was strange when we went to the residence was an ‘off’ smell, like burnt toast,” Cst. McCartney said in a release. “But there was nothing emitting from the residence that would indicate a full-on blaze. Upon doing a walk around the residence to see if anyone was inside, we noticed an odd haze or fog. At first, it seemed like dirty windows, but upon a closer look we realized it was a house full of floor-to-ceiling smoke.”

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device

The two officers found a set of keys outside the home and were able to unlock the front door. After searching the home they eventually found the woman under a layer of blankets inside a bedroom.

“My initial thought at this point was that she was deceased, as I could barely breathe and I had only been in the residence for a moment. I shook her and was able to get a response,” Cst. McCartney said in a release.

The woman was unaware her home was filled with smoke and was carried outside by the two officers to a nearby residence where she was assessed by medical services, RCMP said.

After searching the home RCMP said it was determined the source of the smoke was severely burnt food inside a microwave.

RCMP said they are not saying where the incident took place because the victim’s name was not released.