'Heroic' Indiana Man, 25, Runs Into Burning Home to Save 5 Children Trapped Inside
An Indiana man was injured this week after saving five children from a burning home.
Nicholas Bostic, a 25-year-old pizza delivery driver from Lafayette, suffered severe smoke inhalation and a cut on his arm after jumping out the second-story window of the burning house with a 6-year-old during Monday's rescue, according to a release from LPD. The child was "miraculously mostly uninjured."
He recounted to authorities running into the house through the backdoor after driving by and noticing the flames at around midnight. His yells woke the four children, ages 1 to 18, sleeping upstairs, before he helped them outside.
Lafayette Police Department; Lindsey Nichole
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The kids alerted Bostic that a 6-year-old might still be inside and he ran back in "without hesitation," returning to the bedroom upstairs, according to the release. When he couldn't find anyone, he began to search for an exit before hearing crying coming from downstairs.
Bostic wrapped his shirt around his mouth and nose as he braved a "black lagoon" of smoke in the stairwell to retrieve the child. As he couldn't find the door he used through the thick smoke, they returned upstairs where Bostic punched a window out before jumping to the ground while making sure the child landed safely, the LPD states.
In bodycam footage shared by LPD, Bostic can be seen carrying the child from around the side of the burning house and handing them over to first responders before medics tend to him on a nearby lawn.
"Is the baby OK? Please tell me that baby's OK," he can be heard pleading, as officials assure him the baby was unharmed. "You did good, dude," one medic tells him.
Bostic was lifted to a hospital in Indianapolis, where he was treated until being released Wednesday. "And we're going home!!" Bostic's girlfriend Kara Lewis captioned a Facebook photo of him smiling in his hospital gown.
"Nicholas Bostic's heroic actions saved lives. His selflessness during this incident is inspiring, and he has impressed many with his courage, tenacity and steadfast calmness in the face of such perilous danger. The Lafayette Police Department and the Honorable Mayor Tony Roswarski are eternally grateful for Nicholas' intervention and would like to publicly recognize him for his actions," LPD shared in a statement.
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Bostic will be honored on Aug. 2 at the Lafayette Aviators' National Night Out. Supporters can use code FUND2022 for $2 off and to donate $4 to Bostic's GoFundMe campaign, or they can contribute to his Facebook fundraiser to help cover the cost of his medical bills.