A mom in Savannah, Georgia, is counting her blessings after a truly horrific experience. Tanasia Grant was at home in the Georgetown Oak Apartments with her two young daughters when suddenly they were woken up by the sound of fire alarms. Quickly, they found the floor of their building engulfed in flames and they didn’t know what to do. First responders showed up quickly to put out the fire and begin rescuing those trapped inside.
As the flames threatened their lives, Grant knew she only had one way to get her children out safely: the window. So she threw them into the arms of waiting police officers, saving their lives.
Most people were asleep when the fire began.
The fire broke out in the early morning hours of April 12, 2026, WTOC reported. Around 3:30 a.m., Tanasia Grant knew she had to throw her daughters, 4-year-old Alaya and 5-year-old Autumn, out of their apartment window.
Grant told the outlet she woke up to the building ablaze and fire alarms going off. Her family was trapped on the third floor, along with her brother’s family.
She knew that the only chance for survival was to throw the girls down to the waiting police officers. “They woke up all throughout the night, they jumped out of their sleep calling for me,” she said.
Bri Maye, an EMT who lives in the building, happened to be on duty when the fire broke out. “We never expect it to be us, you know,” her coworker Ellie Fitzgerald told the outlet.
Thankfully, no one died in the fire.
“I didn’t want to, but I had to,” Grant told WJCL about her terrifying decision. “It was something I had to do to save their life. And I would choose my kids over me every time.”
Bodycam footage of the fire has been released, but Grant hasn’t watched. She is understandably not interested in reliving such a traumatic experience.
As the police officers rescued her daughters, firefighters were able to use ladders to get Grant, her brother, and his pregnant fiancée safely out of the building.
Of course, the experience has had lasting effects. Grant said that her daughter is fearful of upper building floors and elevators. And the families who lived in the building have lost everything. But they’re lucky to be alive.
“I’m just thankful that we all have life,” Grant said. “We can always get the material things back.” Grant has started a GoFundMe to begin rebuilding her life after the fire.
The police officers who caught the kids are receiving much-deserved praise.
“Just 13 hours after catching two children dropped to safety by their mother from a burning apartment building, Officer Thomas Velte and Officer Brandon Lowe are back on duty tonight with the rest of our B Watch,” the Chatham County Police Department said in a Facebook post on April 12.
“This is the part of police work that is often forgotten — the quick turnaround and return to duty even after the most difficult of nights and heroic of moments. But, it is the reality of first responders in all fields.”
Hundreds of people quickly filled the comments section with well wishes for the officers.
“God bless you both! Praying for momma! Hope she’s okay, that poor woman must’ve been terrified 😰 y’all got me wanting to move here,” one person wrote.
“Great job, we are a grateful community! All 1st Responders are truly heroes, and we thank you for your courage, devotion and hard work,” another commented.
Someone else wrote, “I have watched the videos and what a blessing you both are to not only to have saved these peoples lives, but to continue to serve and continue to show acts of heroism every single day.💙💙”
