Two Tennessee men have been recognized for their quick thinking after they jumped into action and used a trampoline in a desperate attempt to save their neighbors whose house caught fire.
Fernando Rivera was coming home from work Thursday when he saw plumes of smoke filling the air, the Chattanooga Fire Department said.
As the fire, which likely started in the kitchen, quickly filled the two-story house with smoke.
Several residents managed to get out safely, but two people, a man and a 19-year-old girl, were trapped inside as the fire ripped through the property.
Rivera spotted the 19-year-old calling for help from an upstairs window and convinced her to take the terrifying leap into his arms.
After the successful capture, Rivera saw the father in another window. He grabbed another neighbor, Sam Triplett, to help him. The two men pushed a trampoline onto the property near the fire, allowing the man to jump without injury.
Firefighters arrived moments later and brought the blaze under control in about 20 minutes, the fire department said.
No one was injured, officials said.
“We commend the two neighbors who stepped up to save lives in a terrifying and dangerous situation,” a Chattanooga Fire Department spokesperson told The Post. “Their quick thinking, ingenuity and bravery were remarkable.”
Rivera and Triplett received Citizen Commendation awards from the fire department for their bravery.
“Fire Chief Phil Hyman presented them with Citizen Commendation Awards for their heroic actions and personally thanked them for going above and beyond in an emergency,” the Chattanooga Fire Department wrote on Facebook.
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