Good Samaritan Ran Toward Fire, Jumped From Window Of Burning Home With Child In His Arms

LAFAYETTE, IN — An Indiana man is on the mend after he leaped from a burning building with a 6-year-old child in his arms.

Donors have given more than $500,000 to assist Lafayette resident Nick Bostic in his recovery after he rescued five people from a house fire.

Bostic, 25, was passing through the 2200 block of Union Street in Lafayette around midnight July 11 when saw a home on fire, according to a police news release. He entered the house through the back door and walked through the home, yelling to alert the residents, until he found four young people, ages 1 to 18, and helped them escape, police said.

Once they were outside, Bostic learned a 6-year-old was still in the house and ran back indoors, frantically searching and crawling through thick black smoke toward the child’s cries, according to police. When he found the girl, he carried her to a window, punched out the glass and jumped, positioning himself so that he landed on the side where he was not holding the child, police said.

Bostic suffered severe smoke inhalation and a serious cut to his right arm, and had to be flown to Indianapolis for treatment, according to police. The girl had no major injuries.

“Nicholas Bostic’s heroic actions saved lives,” police said. “His selflessness during this incident is inspiring, and he has impressed many with his courage, tenacity, and steadfast calmness in the face of such perilous danger.”

Donors have contributed more than $500,000 for Bostic via GoFundMe and over $40,000 through Facebook.

“The amount of support and donations is beyond anything we could have ever hoped for,” said an update on the GoFundMe, which called Bostic “the real deal” and was organized by his cousin.

Bostic will be honored Aug. 2 during a National Night Out event at a Lafayette Aviators game, with ticket proceeds going toward his GoFundMe page. For more information, visit twitter.com/LafayetteINPD/status/1547657887165468677/photo/2.

A GoFundMe for the Barrett family, who lost almost everything in the fire, has received just under $14,000 so far in donations. Fundraiser events are also planned to support the family. To learn more, visit https://gofund.me/d6853e0b.