Man working on sealing a neighboring driveway saw smoke coming from nearby home—his brave response saved 3 lives
Risking a life for someone speaks volumes about a person’s courage and kindness. A Shamos Paving and Sealcoating worker, Tyler Johnson, was commended for going out of his way to rescue a grandfather and two youngsters, as reported by WMTW. The man was at work on Cleveland Street, Saco, when he saw a house burst into flames. Without a second thought, he jumped into action and bravely managed to get the elderly man and his grandkids out of the burning home. Johnson’s company shared a post on Facebook thanking him for coming to a life-saving rescue.
Johnson was around the area sealing a neighboring driveway when he suddenly saw smoke and flames coming from a house. Courtney Boudreau, who lives next door, was reportedly walking towards her home when she saw the flames. Initially, she thought it was her home that was on fire. "I walked back and when I saw the flames go up, I heard a crash. The glass had exploded," she recalled. Soon, she learned it was the elderly man’s home. The smoke and the fire were spreading rapidly and that’s when witnesses saw Johnson rush to the scene. The worker left everything and arrived at the flaming house, where he heard cries for help.
He went inside the home and helped the trio escape safely. Saco Deputy Fire Chief Robert Martin noted that the temperature reached the 90s due to the fire. A heat advisory was also issued due to the humidity caused by the fire. "On a day like (Tuesday), after 15 to 20 minutes, you've got to give them a good 20 minutes to a half-hour to cool down (and) to be able to get their equipment off just to get rid of and dissipate some of that heat," he explained. Johnson’s immediate response after learning of the fire helped save three precious lives and he deserves all the praise for it.
A Saco resident, Rick Towle, commended the man and said, "Rarely do you go to work any day thinking you're going to have to go into a burning building to help someone, and anyone who can do that with that kind of courage — without knowing who's inside — deserves to be thanked.” His fellow employees, too, commended him with the post, “Not all heroes wear capes — some wear work boots. Today, one of our own, Tyler Johnson, noticed a house on fire across the street from his job site. He helped an elderly man and two children escape — just minutes before the house was completely engulfed in flames.” A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family through their loss. The worker went back to work the very next day, not thinking much of his life-saving act.
Continuing to commend his brave and humane response, the post read, “Tyler is an unsung hero — a regular guy who dared to act when it mattered most. We couldn’t be prouder to have him on our team. Thank you, Tyler. You reminded us all what real bravery looks like.” Audrey Tripodi, one of the rescued youngsters, commented with thanks, saying, “If it wasn’t for you, I would have still been asleep while the house was burning down. You ran into a burning house to wake me up and get me out. You didn’t think twice, you just acted. I’ll never be able to repay you for that. There’s no way to measure that kind of bravery or selflessness. Just know that I’ll carry your name and what you did for me in my heart forever.”