These teens sprung to action when they smelled “burning rubber” coming from their 90-year-old neighbor’s house.
Just a Normal Evening
Wyatt Hall, Dylan Wick, Seth Byrd, and Nick Byrd were all hanging out at Wick’s house after football practice on a muggy summer night. The boys sat around, talking amongst themselves until they made the decision to walk to the gas station near them to get some snacks.
Incoming
The boys got their things together to leave Wick’s house and stepped outside. Little did they know, in mere moments they would walk past a house in which they would become local heroes…
While That Was Happening…
90-year-old Catherine Ritchie lived right down the street from the Wick family. She had been living in her house for 58 years, and on that particular night, she was about to go to bed when the boys got up to leave their house.
Turning a Corner
As Ritchie left her bathroom to walk into her bedroom, she noticed that the head of her bed had burst into flames. Staying calm, Ritchie tried to put out the small fire by beating it with a pillow, and when that didn’t work she tried to stifle it with a blanket. This turned out to be the wrong decision…
Up in Flames
Ritchie’s entire bed had burst into flames, and her room was beginning to fill with smoke. Ritchie panicked and went to use her bedside phone to dial 911.
Hard to Breathe
Once Ritchie was able to dial 911 (her hands were shaking from the adrenaline, plus she’s 90-years-old), her entire room had filled with black smoke, and no matter where she stood, she couldn’t escape it. Ritchie tried to talk to the operator, but she passed out from smoke inhalation and hit the ground. Meanwhile, her bed fire spread to the walls and the floor…
Down the Way
The four boys were exiting their home when they smelled something that they described as “burning rubber.” They thought nothing of it and started walking towards the store, but as they approached Ritchie’s house, the smell got stronger and stronger.
Curiosity
The teens looked around to try and find the source of the smell, just when Ritchie’s house alarm started sounding off. The four friends quickly walked to the outside of Ritchie’s house, they could clearly see that there was an inferno raging in one of the upstairs rooms, and without thinking, the boys acted…
Practice Pays Off
Wyatt Hall, who was considered to be the strongest of the four, charged the front door. They all knew that a 90-year-old woman lived alone in that house, and regardless of whether she was home or not, someone had to do something fast.
Try and Try Again
Three of the boys charged the front door with their shoulders, just like in football practice. After several tries, the door began to give way. Nick Byrd, the youngest friend there, decided that this wasn’t fast enough. He ran to the back of the house and crawled through a window, right as the three friends out front successfully busted the door in…
Onward and Upward
The four boys met in the middle of the house and they quickly searched the bottom floor of Ritchie’s house. They called out to see if anyone was there, but they heard nothing.
Move on Up
Wick quickly ran up the stairs, carefully staying low to avoid inhaling smoke, and he started busting into the bedrooms searching for the fire. He knew that Ritchie must have been inside, as he went to open the last bedroom door, the knob was much too hot to touch, he knew he had found the fire…
Heroes in the Making
Wick shouted down to his three friends downstairs and they all flew up the stairs as fast as they could. Wick used his shirt as an oven mitt to get Ritchie’s door open and they all crawled into the room.
Where Could She Be?
The teens were in the room, and they spotted Ritchie passed out beside the bed, surrounded by flames. There was only one way to get her out, they needed to crawl under the burning bed and pull her out. Nick Byrd was the smallest of the group, and without saying a word he shot under the bed to rescue his damsel in distress…
Get Her Out of There
Nick Byrd struggled to worm his way back under the bed, but fortunately, Ritchie was very light. Like he was pulling a sandbag, Byrd was able to yank Ritchie all the way from under the bed to the doorway.
What’s Wrong?
Wick slung Ritchie over his shoulder and ran out of the house with his friends in tow. If they waited any longer, the bedroom would have completely gone up in flames. When they got Ritchie outside, she wasn’t breathing, and the boys were running out of time…
He’s Got This
When they got her outside, Ritchie wasn’t breathing and she had a very light pulse, she was very close to dying. Wick knew exactly what to do, he laid Ritchie out in the grass, tipped her head back, and began administering CPR.
We’ve Got to Do Something
The other three teens pulled out their phones and started calling contacts, one called 911, the other called his parents, the other called a volunteer fireman that was a close family friend. Oddly, 911 was the only dial that actually reached a person, they assured that they would be sending units immediately, when suddenly…
Here They Come
Two firetrucks rounded the corner onto Ritchie’s street, both coming from different directions, lights and sirens blaring into the night. Wick was completely focused on administering CPR, right until ambulances turned the same corner that the fire trucks did.
Who You Gonna Call
Evidently, someone from down the street called 911 to report a fire. All the people who lived on the street started to come out after hearing the sirens and seeing the lights. One problem, Ritchie still wasn’t responding to the CPR…
Let the Professionals Handle This
The EMTs that got to the scene took over giving Ritchie CPR, she didn’t immediately respond so they rushed her to the hospital, leaving the four teens at the scene.
Hose Em’ Down
The firemen quickly doused the flames in the house, fortunately, they arrived at the scene right before the fire spread to the rest of the house. This entire event only took 10 minutes to happen, thanks to the teen’s hard work.
Badge of Honor
The boys were greeted by the firemen, they commended them on a job well done. Wick’s parents showed up, sobbing, thanking the firemen for coming to the scene, and thanking them for taking such good care of their son.
Fireman in Training
Oddly enough, Wick aspired to become a fireman after he left high school. This event likely will push him to the front of the list, making this heroic act one of the most important events of his life.
Back to Normal
The teens got back together after their praises had been sung, and they actually went back to what they were doing. Fortunately, Ritchie’s house was right across from the gas station that they initially were seeking out.
Waiting for the Word
The teens got back to Wick’s house to crash for the night. All of them fell asleep, except for Wick. He was anxious about whether Ritchie survived or not.
Waking Up
Early the next morning, there were news trucks parked outside of Wick’s house waiting to interview the four friends. Wick was completely disinterested, as he was awaiting word from the hospital to discover that Ritchie was okay.
Well Researched
One of the reporters had visited Ritchie in the hospital that morning. She was living, but she hadn’t woken up yet. She stated that the doctors said that she would not sustain any long-term damage because of the boy’s bravery.
Ring Ring
As the day transpired, the Wick residence received a phone call from the hospital. It was from Catherine Ritchie.
A Job Well Done
Ritchie wanted to thank Wick for everything he and his friends did the night before. If they weren’t there, she certainly would have died.
Later That Day…
When the afternoon rolled around, the four teens were on the nightly news. The next day, they were on the cover of the local newspapers.
The Takeaway
If these four teens hadn’t acted as soon as they did, the life of a sweet old lady would have been lost in the inferno. Moral of the story, if you suspect someone is in distress, do anything you can to help, without worrying about yourself first.