A man from Georgia says he is lucky to be alive after a stranger saved him from his burning home during a Winterville fire rescue.
It was a peaceful afternoon on October 29 when David McConnell took a nap in his house on Oakmont Circle in Winterville, just outside Athens, Georgia.
He heard some odd “popping, snapping, and crackling noises” coming from his kitchen but ignored them, thinking it was nothing.
As he drifted off to sleep, the fire alarm went off sometime later, and he woke up with a startle.
He knew something was wrong when everything turned smoky.
Still drowsy, he left the bedroom, but as he tried to escape his burning home through the front door, he realized the storm door was locked.
McConnell grew nervous, but that’s when help arrived in the form of Dylan Betts.
Betts was driving home from work when he noticed thick black smoke billowing from McConnell’s home.
Without hesitation, he stopped his car, ran toward the house on fire, and kicked the storm door open.
Although he couldn’t see anything, he entered and shouted out. Hearing Betts’ voice, McConnell walked toward him and was pulled to safety, saving his life.
McConnell breathed a sigh of relief and fresh air as first responders arrived and took care of him.
Despite not knowing McConnell, Betts risked his own life to save a stranger. When asked by Fox 5 Atlanta News about his act of bravery, he replied, “Why not? That’s America.”
The McConnell family is deeply grateful to the Betts family, as their youngest daughter calls him “our hero.”
The McConnell family offered the Betts family tickets to the Georgia/ Tennessee game to show gratitude.
The McConnell family is now rebuilding their home, and a neighbor has set up a GoFundMe to raise $20,000 for them.
The fundraiser has raised more than $17,000 so far and describes the McConnells as “kind and generous neighbors who go out of their way to help those in need, but it is now their time of need.”
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