Liam Stevens A “hero” is a person who is celebrated for the bravery of their deeds or the nobility of their character. Some of the traits associated with the term go hand in hands, such as morality, achievement, and bravery. But true heroism isn’t just about doing the right thing although you’re putting your life in danger; it’s about doing the right thing even when no one is looking or cheering you on. This time, fortunately, the hero will not be aware that his heroic act would be recorded and praised by many people.
A pizza delivery driver in his twenties dashed fearlessly into a burning house to save five people, including four children and a woman in her eighteenth year. The charitable act was caught on camera by the body camera worn by one of the officers and was distributed across the Lafayette Police Department. Before we get into the specifics of the narrative, I’d want to ask you, dear reader, about your heroes; that is, who are some people in your life that you admire or are thankful for? Your upvotes and followers are very much appreciated, and with that out of the way, let’s get to the good part of the narrative!
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A pizza delivery man named Nicholas Bostic, who was 25 years old, saw fire destroying a two-story house.
At midnight, Nicholas Bostic, a 25-year-old pizza delivery driver, was passing through Lafayette when he noticed a two-story house engulfed in flames. Nicholas Bostic managed to flee without incident. He was worried that there were people trapped inside the building, but he didn’t have his phone nearby to call 911, according to what ABC 7 said.
It came out that there were five individuals inside the house when he bravely chose to enter it himself. Four siblings ranged from 1 to 18 years old, and another young person who was sleeping over was 13 years old.
He entered the building using the rear door while calling to see if anyone could hear him. His yelling roused the oldest sibling, who boosted the two younger teenagers and grabbed her little sister, who was only one year old before Nicholas escorted them outside to safety.
Even though he did not have his phone with him, he felt compelled to return to the house to check on those who were still there. Upon entering the house, he discovered five children aged one to eighteen.
There was a fire reported in the house, according to 13-year-old Shaylee Barrett’s statement to the Purdue Exponent, “For a minute I didn’t understand it, then my sister walked upstairs with the baby in her arms and yelling at us to get up because there’s a fire.” And because I was confused, I temporarily stopped moving and just dozed off there. The three of us then went downstairs, where we discovered Nick helping the three of us.
However, there was still a child who hadn’t made it out of the building yet. According to what Nicholas said to ABC 7, “I asked them if anybody was left in there, and that’s when they told me that the 6-year-old was still in there.” As a result, he returned to the fire and searched various rooms, looking under beds and inside closets. At the same time, he was surrounded by what he described as a “lagoon of smoke.”
The oldest managed to save the majority of her younger siblings, but one of them slipped away. Nick courageously ran back inside the building, intent on locating the child, who was six years old.
After an extensive search, he finally located the girl, but he could not find his way back. After climbing to the second floor, he shattered a window and fell to the ground below with her in his arms.
He said to writer Dave Bangert, “I don’t know how to express it, but it was like I accepted that right then, that night, I was probably going to die. “But there was this eerie calm. I don’t know how to express it. You must begin working as soon as you can; you have no other option.
Thankfully, he could locate the young girl, but they were trapped inside with no way to escape. Nicholas is shown on police body camera footage from the scene descending to the ground with the girl in his arms after breaking a window to escape the house on fire. He could not gauge the depth of the drop, but they were left with no other option.
He jumped and landed on his right side, which resulted in his damaging his right arm, right behind, and right ankle. He said that he did everything in his power to absorb the hit for the girl, and the police confirmed that the girl “was luckily mostly uninjured” due to his actions. He walked towards the first responders with the flames acting as a backlight for him.
At that point, emergency personnel had arrived at the residence; the body cam worn by one of the responding officers captured footage of Nick coming up to them with the girl.
Nick was out of breath, coughing, and bleeding when he sat down on the sidewalk and stated, “I need oxygen.” A cop took the crying girl from his arms at the same time. In addition, he inquired, “Is the infant all right? Before the officer told him that the infant was as well, he pleaded with the officer, “Please tell me the baby’s OK.” The officer is seen assisting the man to his feet and leading him to the opposite side of the roadway, where his injured arm is being treated, in the video.
The individual was initially transported to the Franciscan Health Hospital, then moved to the Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, where he received treatment for serious smoke inhalation and injuries to his arm caused by punching the window. He has now been discharged from both hospitals. Everyone who lived in the house managed to flee without suffering severe injuries, and even more miraculously, the emergency medical technicians who responded to the site were able to save the family pet, Buffy!
After a night out, the children’s parents, David and Tiera Barrett, came home to discover their house in flames and surrounded by emergency vehicles. Both parties thanked Nicholas and their neighbors with real gratitude. According to David Barrett, “I told him he’s now part of our family,” he reportedly said to the Exponent. That was something he totally agreed with. As soon as we’ve found a place to call home, we’ll welcome him and his girlfriend over for supper.
According to a scenario put forth by the fire department, the fire was started when ashes that had not yet entirely burned off were dumped into a bucket on the porch. This took place prior to the ashes being completely annihilated. The police department praised Nicholas’ actions as “nothing short of bold and heroic.”
The injured man was requesting oxygen while bleeding heavily from his arm. The children were saved from severe injury by some miracle. Hero status was bestowed upon him by both the fire and police agencies.
Nicholas gives a dismissive shrug in response to the numerous accolades and awards bestowed upon him, minimizing the significance of his bravery. Nick stated that everyone says that hero-this or hero-that is a hero. “I can’t comment on that. Simply put, I was a guy. Like I keep saying, it’s not like I’m some superstar hero.
Nick could not comprehend the level of danger involved in the rescue operation until the Lafayette police showed him the body cam film. “It doesn’t seem genuine,” he declared. “Even as I sit here and tell you about it, it still doesn’t feel real to me. It’s God, you guys. That is the only thing that comes to mind.
The fire service suspects that the fire started because ashes were emptied into a bucket on the porch before they were completely extinguished. This occurred before the ashes were killed entirely.
It’s crucial to recognize the threat that fire poses because both the flame itself and the toxic fumes could harm you. The American Red Cross reminds people that if they see a fire starting in their home, they should remember to GET OUT of the house, STAY OUT of the house, and CALL 9-1-1. Never open doors that feel hot when you touch them. If there is no other way out of the smoke, drop as low as you can and make your way out from underneath it—close doors behind you. Put your possessions out of your mind; what’s truly valuable is the life you have lived.
If there is no way for you to get out of the room you are in, one last ditch effort is to stuff a wet towel under the door. If there is a window, you should open it and wave a cloth or flashlight with a bright colour to attract attention and call for aid. The fire will have greater access to oxygen, which will help it expand. Thus, breaking windows may not be the most significant action in this situation. If you have to jump from a window on a higher floor, try using blankets as a rope, or toss mattresses out to cushion the landing. Jumping from a window on a lower bed could result in serious injuries or even death.
At a future Lafayette Aviators game, the city will recognize Nick for the noble act that he performed. To assist with his medical costs, various fundraising efforts have been organized.
Nicholas will be honoured by the city of Lafayette at an upcoming Lafayette Aviators baseball game; proceeds from tickets purchased with the promo code “FUND2022” will contribute to Nicholas’s medical costs.
When this article was written, a GoFundMe page had collected more than $142,000. In comparison, a Facebook fundraiser had already garnered more than $33,000.
Nick brushed off the adulation with a dismissive shrug, saying, “It’s not like I’m some superstar hero.” We hope he will rapidly recover; the future holds nothing but success for him!
However, as we can see from Nick’s situation, there are instances when you have to go against the rules to save not only yourself but also another person. We hope that he and the children will make a rapid recovery. We also wish they would never find themselves in a situation like this again.
