By Joanna Putman
Police1
BEAUMONT, Texas — Two Vidor Police officers are being hailed as heroes after rescuing two young boys from a house fire, 12 News Now reported.
The fire was reported at a mobile home during the overnight hours on Sept. 10, according to Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll. Officers Michael Stephenson and Ashton Moss were the first to arrive at the scene where they found the home “fully engulfed” in flames.
The boys’ mother informed the officers that her children, ages 7 and 9, were trapped in the front bedroom. Body camera footage shows Stephenson running toward the burning home and struggling to remove an air conditioner from the window to reach the children.
“She told me it was screwed shut,” Stephenson told 12 News. “I couldn’t hear them. The fire was loud. We were just trying to get that open because that was our only way in.”
After a brief struggle, Stephenson was able to push the AC unit into the house.
Within seconds of opening the window, the two boys emerged from the room, and the officers pulled them to safety.
“Luckily the kids were right there just inside the window, so we were able to pull them out,” Moss said.
After the officers helped the children out of the room, they walked over to make sure they were alright.
“Thank you for saving me,” one of the boys tells the officer.
The children were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and later released, according to the report. The family lost everything in the fire, and the police department is helping to raise funds for their basic needs.
When every second counts, the first actions at a fire scene can save lives. Learn what law enforcement officers should do (and avoid) when arriving before the fire department to help manage the situation effectively.