Incredible moment hero Texas cops pull terrified young brothers from huge house inferno
A pair of Texas police officers are being hailed as heroes after saving the lives of two children from a blazing housefire with only minutes to spare.
A pair of Texas police officers are being hailed as heroes after saving the lives of two children from a blazing housefire with only minutes to spare.
Heart-stopping video footage showed the two Vidor Police Department officers, Michael Stephenson and Ashton Moss, pushing in an air conditioning unit before pulling two young brothers out of the window and away from the flames.
Stephensons bodycam video showed him running from his patrol car toward the mobile home, which at the time was completely engulfed in flames on one side.
In a panic, the boys mother told the officers that her two children were still inside - a 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy.
A 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old boy were rescued from a housefire after a pair of Vidor police officers were able to push an air conditioning unit out and pull the children to safety through the window
Officers Michael Stephenson and Ashton Moss are being deemed heroes after saving the two young boys from the mobile home with just minutes until disaster
She said that her children were in the front bedroom of the mobile home, which was fully engulfed in flames.
The boys had no way to escape the home without being completely swallowed by the fire. The door to the bedroom they were in was closed and flames took residence of the rest of the house.
In the video, Stephenson rushed to the window that the mother pointed out and appeared to struggle removing the air conditioner.
When I got there, I saw everything was just one big ball of fire. I saw Stephenson try to open the window, so I just ran over to him, Moss told 12News.
She told me it was screwed shut. I couldnt hear them. The fire was loud. It was right there. So we were just trying to get that open because that was our only way in, Stephenson added.
But in just 21 seconds, he managed to shove the unit into the room containing the children.
Come on out, guys, he yelled inside before a pair of arms reached outside the window which was illuminated by the glow of flames that engulfed the home.
The officers were racing against time. In only 34 seconds, both children were pulled out from the window and onto the road outside, safe.
Luckily the kids were right there just inside the window, Moss told 12News. We were able to pull them out and rush them out to the road.
Although the family is safe, the house was heavily damaged due to extreme fuel load and everything was lost in the blaze
Stephenson, a father-of-two, was one of the first officers on the scene and said that his instincts kicked in to save the children and put his own life at risk
After making sure that everybody inside the burning home was safe, the officers made their way over to the boys and their mother who were clearly shaken up from the ordeal.
Thank you for saving me, the 9-year-old boy told Stephenson.
Stephenson proceeded to ask the boys if they were OK and if they were able to breathe after being trapped inside a home that was filling up with thick smoke by the second.
I know you bumped your head, but youre all OK, right? Stephenson asked the 9-year-old child while rubbing his head.
Yes, sir. I dont care about that, the boy responded.
Less than a minute after the boys were rescued, flames could be seen coming through the same window that was just used to pull the boys out.
The officers put the two boys into their patrol car and caught their breath as the sound of fire trucks shrieked in the background.
Stephenson and Moss were the first to arrive on the scene early Tuesday morning after a fire was reported at 1:49 am.
Both boys were able to be rescued in the knick-of-time before flames were seen erupting out of the same window they were saved from less than a minute later
Both boys were able to be rescued in the knick-of-time before flames were seen erupting out of the same window they were saved from less than a minute later
Because of Stephensons father-like instincts, he was able to heroically take charge of the situation and find a way to bring the boys to safety.
As a parent, you just want whats best for your kids all the time. They were good once they got out to the road, the father-of-two added.
Moss reiterated the statement, adding: You definitely think about your kids in times like that and youd want to save them by any means necessary.
Two minutes after the children were outside safe, Orange County ESD One firefighters arrived at the scene, which at the time was a heavily involved structure fire with a vehicle also burning, according to a Facebook post by the Orange County FD.
Due to extreme fuel load, the home was heavily damaged, the post added.
An ambulance took the two boys to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont where they were treated for smoke inhalation and thankfully released a short time later, according to 12News.
Without the officers quick-thinking, the children may have never been able to make it out of the home alive.
Another reason for their safe rescue may have been the fact that their bedroom door was closed. According to the post, the closed door helped prevent smoke, heat and other toxic gases from overcoming the children.
Although the family is safe, everything was lost in the fire. Vidor police are now trying to help raise money to help the family with basic needs, 12News added.
Orange County FD also urged families in the Facebook post to please remember to have working smoke detectors to wake you up in the event of a fire.
