Man taking afternoon nap hears odd 'popping' noises and ignores them — minutes later, a stranger pulls him to safety
We need to be vigilant in our everyday lives with even the simplest tasks or in places. Even in our homes, a lot can go wrong and if we’re not aware, there could be drastic impacts. David McConnell, an owner of a home in Winterville, made a narrow escape from an unprecedented fire in his home, per Fox News Atlanta. The man had been napping and had no idea what was to unfold until a stranger, Dylan Betts, saved his life. In a moment, the house was in flames and fortunately, McConnell’s life was saved. The astuteness and observation of Betts managed to avert added disaster and calls for applause.
The man was napping in his home when something unusual started the fire. "I heard some popping and snapping and crackling," said McConnell. He didn’t think it could be the start of something dangerous and went back to sleep. Little did he know, he’d wake up to a housefire. When the fire alarm went off, that’s when McConnell woke up and knew something was off. Making his way to the hall, he could see nothing but thick smoke. "You could not see out my backdoor or my window. That was pretty scary,” he recalled. He tried to escape by attempting to open the door but in vain. That’s when Betts jumped to his rescue.
Driving home from work, Betts recalled seeing black smoke coming from the man's house and immediately rushed to help. He broke open the front door and guided McConnell to safety. "Mr. David, luckily, heard my voice and came right to me," the stranger remarked. In a swift attempt, Betts managed to get the owner out of his home in flames. He risked his life to save a man he’d never met, heard of or known and his only reason for the same was, “Why not? That’s America.” While the house was ruined, McConnell’s life was saved. He mentioned that he could have died in the dangerous fumes and fire as the damage was severe. “My youngest daughter calls him a hero,” the owner recounted.
Bart Hamburg, one of the neighbors, shared a video on YouTube of the flaming house. The video captured the vast black smoke coming out of the house in flames. With several units of firefighters, there was much to be done to put out the fire. The Athens-Clarke Fire County Department stated, “Arriving units attempted to begin an interior operation but due to deteriorating conditions, including a roof collapse, had to withdraw to additional defensive positions.”
A GoFundMe has been set up by Harold Hamburg to help McConnell and his family find a roof and recover from the tragic incident. “Due to the efforts of a stranger passing by, who broke down the front door and carried David to safety, no one was injured or lost their lives. But they did lose everything, including David's vehicle,” the page read. The neighbors even described them as generous people who are in need of help. There was a thank you note singled out on the page for Betts for saving McConnell's life.