Firefighter Reunites with Newborn He Rescued 18 Years Ago
BALDWIN: A horrible beginning has turned into a jubilant story of reunion. Skyler James from Indiana was abandoned right after she came into this world, back in 1995. The newborn was then was miraculously found by a firefighter after the initial teams actually were sent to the wrong cemetery. Fast-forward 18 years and Skyler is graduating high school and guess who was at the ceremony? The firefighter who saved her life.</s>SKYLER JAMES, ABANDONED AS NEWBORN: They took me over to Charlie, and Charlie introduced himself to me and told me the whole story again. I was totally shocked, and it's something that I've dreamed of since I was a little kid, and it's amazing.</s>BALDWIN: Joining me now, that amazing man, Charlie Heflin. Charlie, just seeing the smile on her face, OK, let me -- take me back to the phone call that you recently got at the fire station and then the voice on the other end.</s>CHARLIE HEFLIN, FIREFIGHTER REUNITED WITH ABANDONED CHILD HE SAVED: It was Skyler's mother. She had called and asked if I remembered rescuing an infant back in 1995. I told her yes. And she told me, Well, that's my adopted daughter and she's graduating high school, and we'd like you to be there.</s>BALDWIN: You were there, and we'll get to that and what you gave her, but back in 1995, I understand that you were sitting there. You were listening to scanner traffic. Some of the crews had gone to this one cemetery, didn't find a newborn and you, instead, think, I think I know where to look. You get to the cemetery and then you almost leave. Is that right?</s>HEFLIN: Yeah. I walked around the tree where she was described to have been abandoned and didn't see anything, and walked away. Got to my truck and turned around and something told me to go look one more time. And I walked up to the tree, I heard a whimper come from under the tree, and my heart just sank.</s>BALDWIN: So your heart sinks, you see this itty-bitty baby. When we say "newborn," Charlie, what kind of condition was she in?</s>HEFLIN: She was literally newborn. She still had mucous, bloody mucous, all over her. She had a two- or three-inch umbilical cord tied with a shoestring and she was wrapped in a real light blanket.</s>BALDWIN: So she was a newborn, and there you are. You sweep in. You rescue her. She ends up being adopted some days later. Fast-forward 18 years, you get this phone call from her adopted mother, and can you just tell me what it was like seeing this young woman at graduation? What did you say to her, and what did she say to you?</s>HEFLIN: I didn't actually meet her at graduation. I went to her graduation to take pictures and then met her at her graduation party the next -- two days later. I asked her if she remembered our meeting back in 1995, and she didn't. But after I told her how we met, then she knew who I was and it was just tears shedding in the entire room.</s>BALDWIN: Goodness. And did I hear correctly, you actually held on to that same shirt you were wearing that day when you found her in the cemetery, and you gave it to her?</s>HEFLIN: Yeah. It was about 20-below wind chill, and we had several layers of clothing on while we were out working, and that's when I heard the call. And the shirt that I kept her close to me with, to keep her warm, I gave to her.</s>BALDWIN: How special is that. Charlie Heflin, thank you so much for joining me. We wish Skyler well, post graduation, as well. Thanks, Charlie. And, before I go, we're just getting the surveillance video showing this amazing rescue. We'll loop it. But you have to wait for the baby. Folks, know there's this 1-year-old child. There it goes, coming out of the second-story window. It was on a ledge. Despite the rain, the man caught the baby, all this playing out, you see the drips, in the middle of a thunderstorm. The man said it was just human instinct to run over and try to catch the child. And there you have it. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for joining me. We'll see you back here for our Friday. In the meantime, to Washington, we go. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.