For 58 years, 90-year-old Catherine Ritchie has lived in the same home in the Tulsa, Oklahoma suburb of Sapulpa. Sadly, this tragically changed in May after a catastrophic fire nearly ended her life. Ritchie said that she was in the bathroom preparing for bed, but when she turned around, she saw that her headboard was on fire! Fortunately for Ritchie, four teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 17 happened to be hanging out in a nearby home. The teens were walking to the convenience store just before her house caught on fire. At first, the boys said they noticed a strong smell.
16-year-old Dylan Wick described the smell in the air as burning rubber and said he heard the home’s fire alarm go off. Ritchie was still inside the house trying to put out the flames, but gave up and quickly dialed 911 for help. However, smoke began to promptly consume her home, causing Ritchie to follow along a wall to make her way towards her front door. As she continued feeling her way out of the house, the boys quickly leaped into action, trying to break down the doors to get inside. 14-year-old Nick Byrd somehow managed to go through the back door, run inside and find Ritchie in the hallway surrounded by thick smoke. The young man quickly swept her up, telling her that he was there to get her out.
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All four boys and Ritchie were able to make it out of the home safe and sound. Fortunately, the fire department was able to prevent the fire from spreading throughout the house. Catherine’s daughter wrote a very heartfelt post online dedicated to the four teenage heroes thanking them for saving her mom.
“Dylan Wick – 16 years old, Nick Byrd – 14 years old, Seth Byrd – 16 years old, and Wyatt Hall – 17 years old, thank you! Thank you for your selfless acts of heroism and courage. Thank you for not allowing this to be the tragic end to our mother’s amazing life. Thank you for staying with her, hugging her, and helping her feel less alone until we could get to her. Thank you for being the kind of young men who thought about another person above yourselves. Thank you for staying safe yourselves as well. Thank you to your parents who obviously raised you in such a way that lead to you making life saving and heroic decisions on behalf of someone else. Thank you for more than we know how to thank you for! We will forever be indebted to the time you bought for us and the example you set for us. God Bless each of you for being such a blessing to us.”
These boys are indeed courageous. Risking your life to help a stranger is terrifying, and the fact that these kids were so willing to sacrifice their lives without knowing how bad the fire was, is a testament to their bravery. These kinds of stories should give us all hope for the future.
Please be sure to share their story with your friends and family.