Heroic Pizza Delivery Man Runs Into House On Fire And Saves 5 Children

Jul 28, 2022 by apost team

A pizza delivery man is being lauded for his heroic actions that saved the lives of five children from a raging fire engulfing their home.

On the night of July 11, 2022, Nicholas Bostic happened to be driving down Union Street in Lafayette, Indiana, around midnight when he was shocked to see a house on fire. Bostic, who did not have his phone with him and could not call the authorities for help, decided there was no time to waste and took matters into his own hands. 

He was able to open the back door and began yelling to see if anyone was inside. Even when he received no answer, he decided not to take the chance and went inside, moving around the house and shouting. When he reached a staircase, he went up and came face to face with four terrified children and teenagers: an 18-year-old carrying a 1-year-old, a 13-year-old and his friend – also 13, who was sleeping over that night. He helped them all move down the stairs and out the door but knew he couldn’t leave just yet. 

“I asked them if anybody was left in there – and that's when they told me that the 6-year-old was,” Bostic told ABC News.

Without pause, Bostic was back in the burning house, but this time, the flames and smoke were almost too much to bear. Despite his lungs burning and the fumes blocking his vision, he raced around the house but saw no sign of anyone in the house. Turning back to the door, he finally heard a faint noise.

“I went down there with my eyes closed and my hand reached out, and I used my ears to guide me to her voice,” Bostic told Fox News.

After picking her up, he ran to the stairs but could not find the door he had entered earlier. He then rushed up the stairs to a window. Smashing it, he jumped, careful to land on the side where he wasn’t holding the girl. 

At this point, first responders had already arrived. Bostic was caught on a police bodycam running from the side of the house with the girl in his arms. The footage showed him running to hand the child over to paramedics before sinking to the ground in complete exhaustion as the fumes of the fire were taking its toll on his body. He repeatedly asked if the child was safe.

Bostic was lucky to come away alive, suffering minor burns, a cut to his arm and most dangerously severe smoke inhalation, while the children he saved were relatively unharmed. His cousin had set up a GoFundMe for Bostic, which surpassed its target of $100,000 to hit more than $560,000.

“Nick, what you did was so selfless and inspiring. Asking if she was okay at the end really touched me,” one donor wrote.

For his “courage, tenacity, and steadfast calmness,” the Lafayette Police Department will publicly recognize his bravery at a sports event in August.

It is believed the fire started after ashes that were not yet fully extinguished were emptied into a bucket left on the house porch.

The parents of the children were extremely grateful to Bostic.

“The dad said he'd love to take me out for a dinner," he said, adding, "they have wide-open arms welcoming me as a part of their family."

"I'm glad I was there at the right time, the right place."

apost.com

How amazed are you by Nicholas Bostic’s brave and selfless actions? Do you know anyone who would act as courageously as he did? Let us know, and pass this on to family and friends.