Nicholas Bostic, 25, was driving through a neighborhood in Lafayette, Louisiana around midnight on July 11 when he saw a house engulfed in flames. He went outside intending to call 911, but realized he had left his phone at home and ran inside without regard for his own safety. Bostic said he couldn’t see or hear anyone through the smoke and flames and was about to turn back when he saw the outline of a terrified teenager at the top of the stairs, herding a group of children. He had spotted Seionna Barrett, an 18-year-old looking after her three younger siblings and one of their friends, while her parents played darts in a nearby bar. Rushing up the ladder, Bostic managed to herd Seionna and three children — Shaylee, 13; Kaleia, 1; and Shaylee’s friend Livian Knifley, 13 – from the brutal fire to road safety. Eyes and lungs already burning from the heat, at that moment she was coughing and shaking, Seionna said her six-year-old sister Kaylani, nicknamed ‘Baby K’, was still trapped in the inferno. “I ran in and looked under beds and closets, but I couldn’t find her,” Bostic said. “But when I got to the stairs, I heard some faint crying.” “I thought, ‘I don’t want to die here,’” the rescuer said, but he knew it was Baby K’s only chance to escape alive. Holding his breath, Bostick picked up the crying child and felt his way up the stairs, unable to see anything through the thick black smoke but a small rectangle of light coming from the rooms upstairs. Once back upstairs, the heroic delivery boy smashed a window, wrapped the girl around his left side and jumped into the air, falling two floors and breaking the girl’s fall with his own body. Police dashcam video shows Bostic carrying a child out of a house that was fully engulfed in flames Bostic is pictured sitting on the curb recovering from his efforts as a fire engine pulls up to the scene Bostic suffered severe smoke inhalation, burns and an injury to his hand after smashing the window and then jumping out of the house. He is pictured slumped on the floor as a police officer checks on him after the incident Bostic is pictured on a ventilator after suffering severe smoke inhalation in the incredible rescue Nicholas Bostic, 25, was driving through a neighborhood in Lafayette, Louisiana around midnight on July 11 when he saw a house engulfed in flames Bostic was seriously injured in the frantic rescue and collapsed soon after, having suffered smoke inhalation, burns to multiple parts of his body and a large laceration to his arm after the window broke and subsequent fall. He was being taken to hospital when the children’s parents, David and Tierra Barrett, arrived at the scene after receiving a call from Seionna that their house was on fire – the cause of which is still unknown and under investigation. Four of the five children meanwhile miraculously escaped with absolutely no injuries – only Baby K suffered minor trauma from the fall and was treated by first responders at the scene. “We feel very blessed for what Nick has done,” David Barrett told the Washington Post. “He’s a real hero and my daughter is a real hero for waking up the kids. I hate to think what might have happened if Nick hadn’t shown up. I am grateful beyond words.’ Meanwhile, Lt. Randy Sherer of the Lafayette Police Department said:[Bostic’s] The selflessness during this incident is inspiring. “What he doesn’t understand is that his actions were not ordinary, they were extraordinary. “He came down those stairs to save this little girl when he thought it was impossible just moments before… There’s only one way to define it: courageous and heroic.” Faith Holdman Bohannon, Livian’s grandmother who had visited the home for a sleepover when the fire broke out, also said Bostic was a “true hero”. Bostic has earned praise from the children’s parents, law enforcement officers and local government officials for his incredible efforts. He is pictured here being greeted by the mayor of Lafayette after recovering from his injuries Nicholas Bostic, right, of Lafayette, Ind., is honored by local officials for saving five children from a house fire on July 11, 2022. Mayor Tony Roswarski, left, salutes Bostic in a photo released by the city of Lafayette Faith Holdman Bohannon, Livian’s grandmother who had visited the home for a sleepover when the blaze broke out, said Bostic (pictured) was a “true hero”. The community in Lafayette has since rallied around the Barrett family and Bostic, organizing several fundraising events as well as GoFundMe pages to help the family replace their belongings and pay for their savior’s medical care. Bostic told the Washington Post that he appreciates the help from the community. “Going to the hospital is expensive… I’m really grateful that everyone has been so kind and giving,” she said. More than $30,000 has already been contributed by the Barrett family and other community members. Bostic finally met the entire family for the first time at a church service on Saturday, where David Barrett told his daughters’ rescuer that he is now “officially part of the family.”
