In zero visibility conditions, Toledo Fire Capt. Luke Harman described for a jury in Lucas County Common Pleas Court today how he crawled on his hands and knees, feeling with his hands every inch in front of him when he felt what would turn out to be a face mask. “My hand dipped into an opening in the debris and grabbed what was without a doubt a human leg,” he said.
Captain Harman called for help, and with other firefighters pulled Pvt. James Dickman from the Magnolia Street apartment building where a Jan. 26, 2014 fire would claim the lives of Mr. Dickman, 31, and Pvt. Stephen Machcinski, 42.
He gave his account of the rescue effort on the third full day of testimony in the trial of Ray Abou-Arab, 64, of Oregon, who is accused of setting fire to the North Toledo building he owned.