Chillicothe lineman saves Waverly family from burning home
WAVERLY – The quick actions of a Chillicothe lineman saved a Waverly family from a burning home in October.
Matt Mitchell was driving home on W. North Street in Waverly after a long day of work in Chillicothe. That's when he noticed a car stopped in the middle of the road and a woman flagging him down.
“The house that was actually on fire was kind of on a curve so I didn't know what was going on, I couldn't see it,” he said. “I went to pull up and she's waving her arms, pointing at the house. I just looked over and saw that the front of the house was on fire.”
Mitchell knew from his days of traveling past the house to and from work and seeing toys in the yard that there were kids who lived there. Once he realized they were still inside, he sprang into action.
“I immediately thought of my kids, just because if my kids were in that house, what would I do or want someone to do?” Mitchell said. “Instincts took over and I just took off running inside the house.”
Mitchell said rushing into the burning house felt like time had slowed down.
“I was able to think while looking for everybody and staying calm,” he said. “It was an adrenaline rush, just being able to think properly and not panic. Knowing that there were kids in there, that was my main focus.”
At that point, heavy smoke began to quickly fill the home. Once inside, Mitchell found the mother with her infant child and located her two other children.
“They all went out the back door, and I didn't know how many kids were in there, so I went into the rest of the house and just kept searching for anybody, yelling,” he said.
Once another passerby arrived and confirmed everyone had made it out safely, Mitchell then needed a way to escape himself.
As smoke continued to fill the home, he knew there was only one way out, and that was the way he came in.
“I didn't really know the house. I saw them get out towards the back door so I wasn't really sure where it was,” Mitchell said. “I was right there by the front door when I heard [the passerby] say they were out. So I just decided that's my best effort, so I ran through the front door.”
Rushing through the flames and heavy smoke, Mitchell escaped the house having successfully saved a mother, her three children, and two dogs without a scratch.
Scott Fuller, communications consult with AEP Ohio, said the company is lucky to have guys like Mitchell on their team.
“I asked Matt's supervisor, Dusty, what it's like to have Matt there, and [Dusty] said he'd like to have a garage full of guys just like Matt,” Fuller said. “He works hard, he does a great job every day, and speaking not just for myself but for the whole company, having guys like Matt with their hard work and dedication, that makes everyone at the company very proud.”
After the incident, AEP Ohio commended Mitchell for his efforts on their Facebook page. Mitchell said he has not had a chance to speak with the family since the incident, but noted that the mother did thank him and others who helped in a comment on AEP'S post.
Mitchell has worked as a lineman for AEP in Chillicothe for three years.
Logan Weaver is a news reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Contact him at 740-277-8396 or via email at laweaver@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @loganaweaver