Demetrius Johnson and Tempest Thomas from Buffalo, New York were supposed to be having the time of their lives. Demetrius had just proposed to Tempest on Valentines Day, and they were in the process of planning their wedding day.
Tragedy besieged their good fortune, however, when a fire broke out during the wee hours of the morning in the two-family home they lived.
The smell of smoke woke Demetrius up. When realized what was happening, his instincts kicked in and began to evacuate his family from the burning house.
READ: Fire Safety Tips for the Family
“He got me and the little baby out,” Tempest told reporters. “My daughter and son were trapped in there. I threw my daughter in the hallway and told him to get her out of there.”
He successfully saved Tempest, his eight-year-old daughter and 15-month-old son from the building. But upon realizing that his three-year-old son Demetrius Jr. was missing, he bolted back into the burning house.
He managed to find his soon, but immediately collapsed due to the smoke.
READ: Father Dies Trying to Drive Pregnant Wife to the Hospital
“He went back in trying to look for his 3-year-old son and never made it back out,” his fiancé said. “He died rescuing his son.”
A firefighter found the 3-year-old near where the father died and carried the child out, Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield said at a news conference.
Tempest cried as she spoke to reporters. “I never got the chance to marry him,” she said.
In case of a fire
Get out, stay out, and call for help. Do not run back to save your things. The national emergency hotline is 117 but it would be also good to know the number of the fire station nearest to your home.
Crawl low under smoke. Most fire-related deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, not by the actual fire itself.
Never open doors that are warm to the touch. Use the second exit, or if you are trapped, place a wet towel under the door.
Wave a brightly-colored cloth or use a flashlight to signal for help from an open window.
Stop, drop and roll. If someone’s clothes catch fire, this is what to do to put the flames out.
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