Thousands Raised for Indiana Man Who Saved 5 Kids from a Burning House Before Firefighters Arrived

The Indiana man, who sprung into action and saved a family with five children trapped inside a burning house before the firefighters arrived, has been rewarded for his heroic deed by thousands of strangers.

As of press time, the GoFundMe fundraiser for Nick Bostic, 25, has reached more than $500,000 after people from all over the world learned about the rescue and his injuries. The hero suffered burns, cuts, and blisters on his legs and arms and will need a lot of help for his recovery. A separate fundraiser is also active on Facebook.

Bostic, a pizza delivery guy, was passing by late at night when he saw the fire. He didn't think twice about entering the house when he discovered that there were kids trapped inside and the firefighters were not yet on the scene. The children were between the ages of 1 to 18 years old.

"I knew what I was risking"

According to ABC News, Bostic knew what he was risking when he entered the burning house. However, he was also aware that every second counted for the children's lives.

The Lafayette cops who arrived at the scene witnessed the rescue and said that Bostic appeared to know what to do. Bostic found an unlocked door to get to the house and called for the children. He pushed towards the fire and smoke to find four kids by the stairs and then guided them outside to safety.

However, the children told their rescuer that a 6-year-old child was still inside. The police said Bostic immediately ran back even if he didn't know where to look. He searched for the child to no avail and was already thinking of getting out of a window when he heard a cry from downstairs.

Bostic said that he had this inner dialogue that whole time as the fire and black smoke were getting bigger. He used his shirt to cover his mouth and followed the child's sound in the darkness.

After finding the child, Bostic punched some windows so they could exit the house. Though they got out safely, Bostic could be heard in the video filmed by the local cops gasping for oxygen. However, he also asked if the last child he rescued would be alright. She suffered some minor cuts but will otherwise be OK.

"He saved our baby"

David Barrett, the father of the children, said there are no words to express their gratitude for Bostic, who saved their baby. Barrett and his wife were out on a date that night and left the children to the care of their eldest child, Seionna, 18. The kids were already sleeping when the fire broke out

"I don't like to think about what might have happened if Nick hadn't shown up," the dad said, adding that Bostic was now a part of their family.

According to Daily Mail, Bostic didn't have any training but knew what to do from watching cop shows on TV. Days after his recovery, Bostic met the family he saved under better circumstances. He also got an audience with Mayor Tony Roswarski.