A homeless man who was lauded as a hero in Arizona was not a firefighter, but he saved a family from a blazing apartment.
More than the adrenaline high, the man’s generosity and eagerness to assist gave him the bravery to dash to the flat, despite the massive flames that greeted him.
Claudia Jimenez awoke on May 18 to see smoke and flames engulfing their residence.
She tried to find a way out but realized she was trapped. The front door was locked, so she, her two tiny children, and their two dogs had no way out.
The fire was swiftly spreading, and Jimenez had no choice but to call for rescue.
“I opened my window and started yelling, ‘Please, someone help me, there’s a fire, I can’t get out through the front, I need someone to help me,” Jimenez explained.
The screams were heard by Joe Hollins, a homeless man camped near Jimenez’s residence. He dashed over to the flaming apartment and learned about the inhabitants’ hopeless position.
“All I see is a lady pulling open the window, screaming, ‘Please help me, please help me,'” Hollins explained.
Once he was under the window of the apartment, Hollins asked Jimenez to drop the children down and he would catch them. Jimenez instantly trusted the man and dropped her two kids, Valerie and Natalie as well as their two dogs.
Jimenez froze when it was her turn to jump. She was hesitant at first but Hollins reassured her. “She didn’t want to come at first. She was scared she was going to fall,” Hollins said. “I was like ‘I got you. Don’t worry.’”
Jimenez finally had the courage to jump and landed safely in the stranger’s arms. Soon, the fire department arrived and put out the fire.
As soon as things calmed down, Jimenez sincerely thanked Hollins for saving her and her family. Hollins said anyone in his situation would do the same thing. “Yes, anyone would. Those were children,” he said.
Arizona citizens lauded the homeless man as a hero as a result of the incident. Hollins was lauded by netizens for rescuing the family from a terrible catastrophe.
“He might not change the world with his great bravery, but he sure changed the world for that lucky family,” commented one user, Lyn T. Every day till he dies, Karma will benefit him.”
Ariana Houle, another netizen, expressed gratitude for Hollin’s bravery and was impressed by his modesty. “A hero never realizes he is a hero.” May he be granted a new home and everything he desires. “I’m in tears because of this,” she wrote.
A lot of people hailed Hollins as a hero and offered to help if someone would set up a GoFundMe for him (Update: They did!). For Jimenez, however, Hollins was more than just a hero but an angel that came at the perfect time to save her and her family.
“I will forever be thankful to him, you know? Like I said, to me he was an angel. Because of him we’re here, we’re alive and my daughters are safe,” she said.
Like most building residents, the Jimenez family lost all their belongings but their neighbors are helping them get back on their feet and start a new life.
It may take time but what’s most important is that they had a second chance at life. Thanks to a kind-hearted homeless man who didn’t hesitate to save them. He is indeed a great man who deserves to be celebrated.
Watch how Hollins saved the Jimenez family in the video below: