When an off-duty firefighter happened to pass by a house on fire, he caught sight of a dog trapped in the home and ran inside to save him.
Sometimes people just happen to be in the right place at the right time. That's what happened when Tim Tawater, an off-duty firefighter, drove down the street and happened to see a house on fire. Tawater saw Samson, the family's 85-pound dog, at a bedroom window trying to get out.
And that's when Tawater ran into the house, without any protective gear, to get the dog out.
Neighbors captured the moment on video and started calling to Tawater, warning him that the roof was collapsing and that he needed to get out of the house. Tawater searched the house, calling for the dog, and was inside for almost a full minute before emerging through the front door, with Samson wrapped in a blanket.
"I was looking for people and found a dog. In some people's family, that's the same thing." — Tim Tawater
Tawater's actions likely saved Samson's life. The homeowners were away celebrating their seventh anniversary when the blaze broke out. Two of their three cats were found safe, hiding under a mattress, however the third cat was reportedly still missing.
After rescuing the dog, Tawater left the scene once on-duty firefighters had arrived; he didn't wait around for praise. But we'll bet that Samson and his owners see Tawater as a hero. Thanks to the brave firefighter's actions, this story has a much happier ending than it might have had otherwise.
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This article was originally published October 1, 2016.
