Four teenagers in Oklahoma have made the news after saving the life of a 90-year-old neighbor, after she was trapped in a burning house last month.
Dylan Wick, Wyatt Hall, Seth and Nick Byrd, all aged between 14 and 17 years old, were at Hall's home in Sapulpa, just outside Tulsa, when they noticed the smell of burning rubber.
The teens - all high school football players - saw flames engulfing the home of Wyatt's elderly neighbor Catherine Ritchie and immediately leaped into action.
Ritchie was reportedly getting to bed when the fire began when, according to a blog post written by her daughter, she tried to flee the flames. The smoke was so thick, however, that she couldn't find her way out of the blaze.
Fortunately, two of the teenagers called 911 and alerted the other neighbors, while Dylan and Nick entered the house. According to CNN, Nick found Catherine on the floor in the hallway, and both lifted her to safety.
Ritchie is an active volunteer with local charities, including The Boys and Girls Club and The Salvation Army. Her granddaughter, Jennifer, told CNN that Catherine - who also delivers Meals on Wheels - was shaken up by the fire, but otherwise remained in good spirits.
On her blog, Missy Ritchie Nicholas thanked the boys on behalf of her family, writing:
"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."
Wyatt's mother, Cindy, told CNN that she wasn't surprised by her son's selfless behavior. Lyann Wick also revealed that her son Dylan had aspirations to become a firefighter - and after what took place, he's even more certain of the decision.
