A teen boy is being hailed a hero after he saved his baby nephew from a fire in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia Saturday morning.
A fire from a toaster started inside a row home on the 1000 block of Flanders Road around 10:30 a.m. Eight family members, including 17-year-old Rudy Edwards, were inside at the time.
“I couldn’t see nothing,” Edwards’ uncle William Noel, said. “I was coughing and choking off that black smoke.”
As the family escaped, they realized their 1-year-old baby boy was still inside as flames billowed out of the window. That’s when Edwards jumped into action.
“I came out through the front door,” Edwards told NBC10. “My grandpa was like, ‘Hey Bryce is still in the house! Bryce is still in the house!’ Without no hesitation or thinking I just went inside the house to go get him.”
The 10th grade student at Overbrook High School said he couldn’t see anything as he searched frantically for his nephew. Suddenly he heard a sound.
“He coughed so that’s when I heard him on the couch,” Edwards said. “I couldn’t see. So I’m tapping around and I felt him.”
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Edwards grabbed his nephew and ran out of the house.
“It all happened in like, maybe 20 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime,” Rudy’s mother, Rachel Noel, told NBC10.
Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control at 10:54 a.m. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.
Overcome by smoke inhalation, Edwards passed out and was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His mother and uncle were also treated for minor injuries as well. As Edwards recovers, he’s grateful his baby nephew is alive and well.
“If I got to go through another fire to get another baby I’ll do it,” the teen said. “I’ll do it again.”
The house was destroyed in the fire. CLICK HERE if you would like to donate to the family.
