(WRCB/NBC) - A tender photo of a Tennessee firefighter caring for a young child he helped rescue from a car crash is going viral.
The image shows a member of the Chattanooga Fire Department cuddling a little girl who he helped rescue from a car wreck.
Capt. Chris Blazek was more than 12 hours into his shift Saturday when he was called to the wreck that involved children.
Blazek rushed to the scene and checked on the children that were involved in the crash, which included 4-month-old girl who wouldn’t stop crying.
The child's mother gave Blazek permission to pick her up.
"I did a quick physical exam to make sure she was OK. Then she just immediately laid her head on my shoulder and just embraced me," said Blazek.
"When we got back to the fire hall, the firefighter that took the photo said, 'Here, I snapped this of you.' And I said, ’That's wonderful. Thank you!" said Blazek.
The picture is now capturing the attention of people across the nation, received more than 6,000 shares on Facebook in just two days.
"Anytime I see another child, mine immediately flashes through my head,” said Blazek.
Blazek did not expect the picture to receive so much attention but is happy to shine a light on the hard work he says firefighters do every day.
"My peers do this on a daily basis. This was a normal call for us. This is something we would do without thinking. Recognition like this is amazing, but we do it knowing that some days there may be no recognition," said Blazek.
Courtesy WRCB via NBC News Channel
