Three construction workers in Glenwood, Iowa, dashed into a burning house last Monday and rescued a family, using a trampoline to catch a teenage boy who jumped from a second-floor window.
John Lewis, Gabe Record and Damian Pond, employees of Glenwood-based Leick Construction, were working nearby when the residence erupted in flames about 12:30 p.m., according to media interviews. The men followed screams from inside the home and pulled a grandmother, the mother and a 4-year-old child out to safety before turning their attention to a teen trapped upstairs.
Record recounted hearing an explosion behind him during the initial rescue but said there was no time to assess injuries at the moment, and later realized the blast had scorched his back. Pond sustained burns that left the side of his face charred, and Lewis said his hat melted onto his head during the chaos. All three men received treatment for burn injuries.
As flames intensified around the second-floor window where the boy was trapped, the men moved a nearby trampoline beneath the opening and steadied it. The teenager jumped and landed on the trampoline, and the workers immediately moved him away from the building to safety, Lewis told First Alert 6.
"So I grabbed the trampoline, and me and another friend took and scooted it over to the window. It was black smoke, and we got him down… He jumped out the window [above] the trampoline, and once he hit the trampoline, I got him away from the building," Lewis said. Record told First Alert 6 that the men were simply doing "what any normal person would do." Lewis added to KMTV, "When you hear a child in harm’s way, you’ll do what you got to do."
Glenwood Fire Department officials said they plan to honor the three workers for their actions. Officials did not immediately provide details about the cause of the blaze or the extent of property damage. No further injuries to the rescued family were reported in the immediate accounts published by local outlets.
The rescue drew a swift community response. Residents organized a donation drive for the displaced family, collecting blankets, toys and other supplies for the 4-year-old and other household members. Organizers said the outpouring of assistance reflected the small-town community’s quick mobilization after the fire.
The three men described the rescue as a blur and downplayed their role in the response. Pond, Record and Lewis were all later treated for burns and received care but remained modest about their actions in interviews with local television stations.
Fire officials and local leaders are expected to provide more information about the family’s condition and next steps for both the household and the three rescuers as investigators determine the cause of the blaze. For now, neighbors and officials have praised the swift action of the construction workers for preventing what could have been a far worse outcome.