Teen Saves Elderly Man and Dog From Fire
Holy smokes. A brave 14-year-old boy in Fairfield, Calif., rescued an elderly man and a dog from a burning apartment building Saturday evening.
Latrell McCockran was visiting a friend's apartment when he smelled the smoke, which prompted him to grab a fire extinguisher. After spotting an elderly, disabled man trying to get out of the apartment, Latrell acted quickly and calmly.
"I kicked that fire extinguisher in. I saw the old guy stumbling, so I picked him up and took him down there, to where the other guys were. I gave him water and a chair," he told KCRA 3.
When the man told Latrell that his dog was still in the unit and that there might be children trapped in there, too, the teen went back with his father. Latrell opened the door, and the dog came out.
But he didn't stop there. Latrell went back in the apartment a third time, tying his shirt around his mouth and getting down on the ground. He called out about five or six times to make sure everyone had escaped. Firefighters later confirmed that no one else was inside at the time of the fire.
"It's not right to sit there and watch someone die," Latrell said. "That would sit on me for the rest of my life, and I can't do that."
Bravo, Latrell, bravo!
The teen suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation. He was taken to a hospital by his mother.
Image via KCRA 3