A man who was critically injured in the shooting at Pulse nightclub on Thursday hugged the officer who helped save his life in an emotional reunion.
Angel Colon was shot three times in his right leg, and his left leg was broken in the chaos of the early Sunday massacre that left 49 people dead at the Orlando gay club.
"I was face down, laying down on the floor," Colon said in a video released by Orlando Health. "I could only move my arms and head up."
From his position of the floor, he could see Eatonville police Officer Omar Delgado above him. Colon, who was in critical condition, said he remembered asking for help, and Delgado pulled him out of the club to safety and medical treatment.
"Hurry," Colon remembered saying. "Please, go."
In Colon's hospital room on Thursday, Delgado moved to shake his hand, and Colon pulled him in for a hug.
"I'm so glad you're doing good, man," Delgado told him. "I'm so glad you're alive, man."
The officer added that the moment was an emotional one. In the days since the attack, first responders have described the grim scene they found inside the club, which left even the most experienced officers taken aback.
Delgado said he was thankful that Colon was recovering.
"You only get one life," Delgado said. "I'm glad now he can be with his family and continue living his life all because we all assisted him, in getting him out as fast as we could."
"I'm getting there," Colon told the officer.
It was the first time the two men had seen each other since the attack. Colon underwent surgery and said he now has a bar in his broken leg. His recovery is continuing.
He had been wanting to see Delgado outside of the horror of their first meeting.
"He came in, and I just had a smile," Colon said. "It was just happiness."
It was a moment of support and connection that Delgado said will help the community move forward.
"Everyone's saying Orlando Strong," he said. "We are going to be strong. We're going to continue being strong."
