Margate Letter Carrier to the Rescue

Margate Letter Carrier John Sylvain (third from left) is credited with saving the life of a customer whose house caught fire.  Pictured from left, City Commissioner Leas Peerman, Mayor Arlene Schwartz, Sylvain, Vice Mayor Anthony Caggiano, Commissioner Joanne Simone and Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano.

At a Margate Commissioner's meeting in April, Mayor Arlene Schwartz recognized and thanked Margate Letter Carrier John Sylvain for his heroism in rescuing a homeowner from a fire.

Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Margate, North Lauderdale, and Sunrise Fire Rescue Departments had responded to the scene of a fire near Park Drive and East River Drive in Margate. Initially, firefighters entered the home, but were forced to exit due to the intensity of the fire.

The homeowner had been asleep at the time, but awoke to the smell of smoke and to witness Sylvain trying to put of the flames with a fire extinguisher. A tenant, who lived in another part of the house, already was outside when the fire started.

“One of the neighbors gave me an extinguisher to put out the fire,” Sylvain said. "I couldn’t do it from the inside, so I asked the tenant if I could break the window to get to the fire from another angle.  He told me, ‘OK,’ so I broke the window and started spraying the fire.”

Unfortunately, the house was destroyed, but the homeowner was grateful to Sylvain and the fire crews for their efforts.