Dramatic Photo Shows Florida Responder at La Promesse School Collapse in Haiti

West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Lt. Nate Lasseur remembers the look on the face of the six-year-old boy named Enel he helped rescue from the rubble of a Nov. 7 school collapse that claimed close to 100 students.

"He was very happy," Lasseur said. "He had a big smile on his face and his eyes were just bulging out."

After removing the boy who was trapped for more than five hours following the tragic collapse of the La Promesse School in Petionville, Haiti, the Haitian-American firefighter/paramedic placed him in a truck that transported him to the local general hospital. Lasseur would try to find the boy at the hospital the following day, but was unable to.

In the days following the collapse, a dramatic photo taken by Associated Press photographer Ramon Espinosa showing Lasseur holding the boy was featured by news outlets around the world.

"I feel like God's purpose for me being there was to rescue that kid," he said.

The day before the collapse, Lasseur arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti with a much different mission. At least two times a year he travels to the native country of his parents to donate equipment to its fire service.

"(Haiti) is such a beautiful country," he said. "There is so much negative that comes out of there, but the people are so good. I have a strong passion and love for the country."

In 2002 he brought one helmet with him and from that point on he never traveled light to Haiti again.

During his future visits he would bring suitcases full of helmets, t-shirts and turnout gear with him and in 2005 he created the Caribbean Firefighters Assistance Foundation, which has since been renamed International Firefighters Assistance, Inc.

With his latest trip planned, Lasseur never imagined what would transpire that weekend when he booked his flight more than a month in advance.

The Collapse

Upon arrival in Port-au-Prince, Lasseur contacted Fire Chief Gregory Donald Williams and coordinated when he would meet with him to deliver the equipment.

The following morning, he stopped by the fire station and soon after the chief received the call alerting him to the collapse. Lasseur said they were unaware of the magnitude of the incident at that time.

He decided to join the department and observe them in action firsthand; planning on mainly serving as a spectator while enjoying one of his hobbies: photography.

After dropping off his mother -- who was with him -- he received a phone call from Cap-Haitien Chief Ardouin Zephirin, who also helps coordinate emergency response for the country. He explained the scope of the incident to Lasseur and told him to pick him up so the West Palm Beach firefighter/paramedic could gain access to the scene.

When they arrived a mile away from the school, Lasseur said there were so many people there that they had to park about a mile away and walk the rest of the way. He had the equipment he brought in tow.

"When we got on scene it was so chaotic. There were so many people there," he said. "As we continued onto the scene, there were a lot of United Nations workers and police. Haiti is very prepared for civil unrest and rioting, so you always have a lot of police around -- but they weren't ready for something like this."

Lasseur said it became an all-hands situation, and that the civilians could not be told apart from the first responders. He joined with Chief Zephirin and Chief Williams to assess the situation and devise a plan of action.

"At that point, we surveyed the scene around the back of the building where the collapse of the school took place," he said. He and the Chief Zepirin also stood on the roof on one side where it had not collapsed in order to get a better understanding of what happened.

As they did this, rescues were already being made; bodies were already being recovered.