An Indiana man is being hailed a hero by local authorities after entering a burning house last week and saving the lives of several children trapped inside the burning structure.
Nicholas Bostic, 25, was driving in the city of Lafayette, Indiana, shortly after midnight on July 11, when he saw a house on fire, according to a press release from the US Department of Police. Lafayette, and pulled into the garage.
Bostic managed to get in through an open back door and began checking to see if anyone was in the house, the statement said. Going upstairs, he found four children – aged between one and 18 years old – sleeping and woke them up, helping them escape the house.
As soon as Bostic managed to get the children out of the house, he learned that a fifth child, a six-year-old girl, was still inside. Returning inside, he looked for her and, hearing her cry, ended up tracking her down, according to police.
Bostic was unable to find an exit on the main floor as the flames intensified, police said, and the two would be forced to jump through a second-story window to safety. Bostic had to break the window by hand to open it, according to the statement.
“I tried to find the back door, but I couldn’t find it and I didn’t want to get lost too much,” Bostic told CNN affiliate WLFI.
The Lafayette Police Department posted a dramatic video on social media showing firefighters arriving at the house, and Bostic is later seen emerging from the burning house with the girl in his arms. Approaching the fire crew, he hands the girl over to them and sits on the ground.
“Is the girl okay? Please tell me the baby is okay,” Bostic asks as they attend to him. A police officer confirms this and tells him, “You did well.”
According to authorities, Bostic was seriously injured during the rescue, suffering smoke inhalation and deep cuts to his right arm. The girl “was miraculously unharmed for the most part,” according to the statement.
Bostic told WLFI that he has a possible torn tendon in his arm. “The bottom of my hands are blistered like I’ve grabbed something hot. I remember seeing flames through the window as I punched it,” he said.
A spokesperson for Lafayette Police told CNN that the family is doing well and has since reunited with Bostic at a friend’s house and at church. The parents had left for the night and the 18-year-old was with the children, police said.
“Nicholas Bostic’s heroic actions saved lives,” Lafayette Police said in the statement. “His selflessness during this incident is inspiring, and he has impressed many with his courage, tenacity and constant calm in the face of such dangers.”
Bostic’s family created a GoFundMe (virtual kitty) to help with his medical bills.
Source: CNN Brasil
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