Getty A man from Lafayette, Indiana used the Indianapolis Colts as inspiration to save children from a fire.
There are football heroes and then there are real heroes like Nicholas Bostic.
Digital investigative reporter Jacob Burbrink of FOX 59 Indianapolis reported that while driving home late on July 11, Bostic, a 25-year-old from Lafayette, Indiana, saw a house on fire. Unable to call for help, Bostic yelled into the house. Not hearing an answer, he went into the burning building.
Bostic saved five children, who were asleep in the house on fire. He used inspiration from the Indianapolis Colts to carry a six-year-old girl to safety.
“I grabbed her and held her snug, and I ran up those stairs like a running back for the Colts,” said Bostic.
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Lafayette Man Saves 5 Children
Burbrink reported that Bostic told police he yelled about the danger in the house while initially entering the fire. He went upstairs and four children, ranging from the ages of one to 18 according to Steve Patterson of NBC News, were sleeping in their beds. He woke them up and led them outside.
But after getting outside, Bostic discovered not everyone was out of the house.
“He told the department that he found out a 6-year-old child was still inside,” wrote Burbrink.
Bostic went back into the house. He struggled to find the child but continued to search. Bostic described the heat from the fire as “excruciating” to the police. He “wrapped his shirt around his mouth and nose before plunging into darkness” as he continued to look for the girl.
Eventually, Bostic heard the cries for help from the girl, which he used to find her downstairs. Then unable to find the back door where he entered, Bostic ran like a Colts running back up the stairs.
Firefighters on the scene said they saw Bostic and the girl jump through a second story window. Bostic said he punched through the glass with his hand to get to safety.
Patterson reported the hero fractured his right arm during the rescue.
In Indiana, 25-year-old Nick Bostic is being hailed a hero after leaping into a burning home and saving five people.
He guided four people outside to safety, then ran back into the house to get a 6-year-old girl, saving her life.
@PattersonNBC reports.
Jonathan Taylor Calls Bostic ‘A True Hero’
Bostic may have used the Colts as inspiration for his heroic deed, but Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who made the All-Pro team by leading the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns during the 2021 season, left no doubt about who the real hero was.
Upon hearing about Bostic’s story on Twitter, Taylor called the 25-year-old Lafayette man “a true hero” in a tweet.
The Lafayette Police Department also commended Bostic for his actions.
“His selflessness during this incident is inspiring, and he has impressed many with his courage, tenacity, and steadfast calmness in the face of such perilous danger,” Burbrink reported the police department wrote in a release.
The city of Lafayette will publicly recognize Bostic for his heroism during a game for the Lafayette Aviators, which is a baseball team in the summer collegiate Prospect League, on August 2. Burbrink reported that proceeds from the game’s ticket sales will be donated to Bostic’s fundraiser page.