An 83-year-old cancer survivor has passed away after being hospitalized this weekend following a rescue from a fire in his Hialeah apartment. This Wednesday, his son Gustavo Azoy confirmed the news, describing the recent days as the most challenging of his life. "I lost my home, my father is gone, and I almost lost my mother too," Gustavo emotionally shared with Telemundo 51, devastated by the tragedy that has left him in ruins.
His mother, also affected by the blaze, remains hospitalized. Although Andrés Azoy, the deceased senior, was frail due to his prior health condition, he was in recovery before the incident.
A Family and Their Pet in Crisis
The family's pet, Shadow, was initially treated by a Hialeah veterinarian at no cost. Although showing initial signs of improvement, "this afternoon he started having seizures," Gustavo explained. A veterinary clinic in Doral has offered to care for the pet for the next 24 hours, also free of charge, as they monitor its condition. "My priority is for Shadow to recover, but I don't know what I'm going to do—I've lost everything in a moment," Gustavo lamented, now facing the harsh reality of homelessness and relying on his car as shelter.
However, Gustavo's car, his sole possession, is experiencing mechanical issues. "I have to stay in the car as it is because I have nowhere else to go; it's all I have now," he concluded, making a desperate plea to the community for assistance during his time of need.
The Rescue Operation
On Monday, the Hialeah police released body camera footage showing the heroic rescue of the elderly man. The footage depicted officers and rescuers entering the charred residence and performing CPR on the senior in the apartment's entryway before carrying him out to be transported to a medical facility.
In total, four individuals and a dog were saved on Saturday after the fire ravaged the apartment located on the third floor of a building at 460 East 23rd Street in Hialeah. Gustavo Azoy speculated that an electrical short in a portable air conditioning unit—used because the central air system was broken—may have sparked the blaze.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. The apartment was completely destroyed and deemed unsafe. Residents of the building recounted the panic-stricken moments as they became aware of the fire. Due to high carbon dioxide levels, police evacuated the entire building, affecting even those in the adjacent structure.