Bostic was able to enter through a back door that was open and began to check if there was anyone in the home, according to the release. As he went upstairs he found four children — ages ranging from one to 18 years old — asleep and woke them, helping them escape the home.
Once Bostic was able to get the children out of the house, he learned that a fifth child, a six-year-old girl, was still inside. Heading back in, he searched for the girl and when he heard crying, ultimately located her, police said.
Bostic was not able to find a way out on the main floor as the flames intensified, police said, and the two would be forced to jump out of a second-floor window to safety. Bostic had to break the window with his hand to get it open, the release said.
“Is the baby, ok? Please tell me that baby is ok,” Bostic asks as he is being treated. A police officer confirms and tells him, “You did good, dude.”
Bostic was seriously injured during the rescue, according to authorities, suffering from smoke inhalation and deep cuts on his right arm. The girl “was miraculously mostly uninjured,” according to the release.
Bostic told WLFI he has a possible severed tendon in his arm. “The bottom of my hands are blistered like I grabbed something hot. I recall seeing flames through the window as I was punching it out,” he said.
A spokesperson for Lafayette Police told CNN the family is doing well and has since met with Bostic at a friend’s house and at church. The parents had left for the evening and the 18-year-old was with the children, police say.
“Nicholas Bostic’s heroic actions saved lives,” Lafayette Police said in the statement. “His selflessness during this incident is inspiring, and he impressed many with his courage, tenacity, and steadfast calmness in the face of such perilous dangers.”