As a fire raged through an apartment complex in South Brunswick, NJ, Monday morning, a father dropped his 3-year-old son out a second-story window to a police sergeant waiting below.

First responders saw a man sticking his head out the window of a second floor apartment with smoke pouring out after they initially thought all 25 apartments in the building were empty, ABC7 reports.

"The fact that he was sleeping, and we pounded on those doors," Fire Chief Chris Perez said. "I mean, we were making a lot of noise."

The man disappeared as the officers shouted from the ground for him to hurry, and he then reappeared with the toddler.

The man lowered his son out the window, feet first, and dropped him to the the group, consisting of officers, the fire chief and a construction worker who was nearby. Sergeant William Merkler caught the child.

After his son was safe, the father jumped out of the window and was caught by the first responders.