A Mississippi man rescued a four-year-old boy trapped inside a burning home by digging through smoldering wreckage with his bare hands, an act captured on police body camera footage. The blaze occurred around 10 p.m. on October 7 in Edwards, Mississippi.
Six children were inside the house when the fire started. By the time deputies and firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames, and neighbors had begun rescue efforts. Five children, aged 13, nine, three, and two sets of twins aged two, were saved by neighbors. However, one four-year-old boy remained trapped inside.
Deputies located the boy in a bedroom by looking through a window. Neighbor Kennard Hodge then entered the burning structure. The body camera footage shows Hodge reaching into the home through the window, digging through debris, and pulling the unconscious child out by his arm. "Got him! Got him!" Hodge can be heard exclaiming in the video as he passed the boy to a deputy.
"All I wanted to do was to get the baby out, so he could have a chance," Hodge told WAPT. Bystanders cheered as the boy was brought outside. Deputies immediately began CPR, and the child eventually began breathing, though he remained unconscious and was transported to the hospital with burns.
Edwards Police Chief Terrence Crump called the rescue a "miracle." The boy's condition was listed as very critical on October 8, according to the Hinds County Sheriff's Office. No further updates on his condition have been provided, but he is believed to be alive.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services is assisting with the case. The Hinds County Sheriff's Office commended the neighbors and deputies whose "courageous actions saved multiple lives."
The town of Edwards held an event to honor the community members involved in the rescue.