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43-year-old Dep. Troy Taylor, who was the first responder to 5464 S. Celeste Point, was calling out and trying to determine if anyone was still inside.  He heard a woman's call for help from the south side of the residence.

As he rounded the corner of the house, he spotted an older woman, Elizabeth Podoll, 62, with her head and one arm outside of her bedroom window.  As he attempted to pull her from the window, Dep. Chad Doyle, 37, arrived on scene to assist.

The woman's fatigue and labored breathing, combined with the heavy smoke coming from the structure, made it extremely difficult for the two deputies to pull the victim from the burning residence.  

Dep. Taylor was finally able to squeeze himself partially through the window to free the woman, who was trapped between a piece of furniture and the wall.  He and Dep. Doyle were then able to pull her halfway through the window; however, she became stuck once again.

The victim's neighbor, Gregory Avery, 53, rushed to assist the two deputies and pushed up on the woman's hips to free her as the deputies pulled her to safety.  Moments later, flames erupted from the ceiling of the room where the woman had been trapped.

Podoll was airlifted to Shands in Gainesville for observation and treatment, while the two deputies were treated on scene for mild smoke inhalation.  

Commander Wayne Burns, who oversees the CCSO law enforcement bureau, had high praise for his deputies' actions.

"This is the kind of commitment and determination that even the best training can't instill.  The actions by both Dep. Taylor and Dep. Doyle likely saved this woman's life," he said.