An eight-second video from Anderson, South Carolina is going viral for two surprising reasons.
First, because it shows the incredible rescue of a woman and her child from a burning apartment building.
Second, because the bystander who saved the baby's life doesn't want any attention for his good deed.
The Right Place at the Right Time
The fire broke out in a two-story apartment building around 8 p.m. last Tuesday.
Firefighters say the blaze was caused unintentionally by a resident cooking dinner. When they failed to put out the fire, it spread into the massive column of smoke and flames seen in the video.
By the time the mother in the video noticed smoke pouring into her apartment from the hallway, it was too late to escape.
The only possible exit for her and her 11-month-old son was through the nearest window.
A neighbor was filming the fire and caught the child's dramatic rescue: his mother dropped the boy out the window, into the arms of a man described only as "a neighbor."
The brave mother then had to climb out the window and jump down herself. She later told rescue workers that it was the most terrifying thing she has ever done.
Mystery Hero
The fire made four units of the apartment building completely unlivable, and sent a resident and a paramedic to the hospital with minor injuries.
Incredibly, the baby only received bruises and scratches from his fall.
"We are so glad that the baby was gotten out without significant injuries," said fire department spokesperson Travis Poore.
"This could have been much, much worse. We are grateful that it wasn't."
But the heroic man who caught the baby left the scene with only a handshake from firefighters, and said he didn't want any praise for his good deed.
He's been described as a neighbor to the woman, a stranger, and a former marine in local news reports, and so far it's not clear what's true.
All we can say for sure is that this brave man deserves more than just a handshake, whoever he is!
Liked this story? Read about even more good deeds:
- Hero neighbor catches little girl thrown 50 feet out of Grenfell Tower fire.
- Hero cat saves family from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Kitten stuck in storm drain seemed doomed, but watch this clever rescue.
[H/T: Fox Carolina, Global News]
