A Georgia homeowner has recounted how a passerby saved him from his burning home last month by kicking in a closed storm door to pull him to safety.
David McConnell told FOX5 Atlanta that he was taking a nap at his Winterville home on Oct. 29 when a noise from the kitchen woke him up.
“I heard a bang, a bang and a bang,” McConnell said, adding that he went back to sleep thinking the noise would stop.
McConnell only realized something was wrong when the fire alarm went off. He told the store that he jumped out of bed to find thick smoke billowing from his home.
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Firefighters responded to a house fire in Winterville, Georgia, around 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. (Athens-Clarke County Fire Department)
“You couldn’t see out my back door or my window,” McConnell said. “That was scary.”
McConnell said he tried to leave the house through the front door but found the storm door locked.
Fire officials said the roof collapsed when first responders arrived. (Athens-Clarke County Fire Department)
Dylan Betts, a good Samaritan who was driving by on his way home from work, stopped when he saw the smoke and ran to help.
“I ripped it open and kicked it in,” Betts said of the locked storm door.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. (Athens-Clarke County Fire Department)
Betts said he entered the house through a “thick wall of black smoke” and shouted.
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“Mr. David, luckily, heard my voice, and he came to me,” Betts told FOX5.
It is believed that the fire started in the garage before it spread throughout the house. (Athens-Clarke County Fire Department)
When the store asked Betts why he was risking his life to save a stranger, Betts replied, “Why? America.”
McConnell said his family calls Betts “our hero,” and even gave Betts tickets to the Georgia/Tennessee football game as a small thank you for saving his life.
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The Athens-Clarke County Fire Department said the fire started in the garage and spread throughout the building, according to the station. Firefighters arrived and found a bad situation, including the collapse of the roof. No injuries were reported.
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