Two Sun Parlor Home employees in Leamington became unexpected heroes last Monday (Sept. 15), after they rescued a young woman from a basement inside a burning house.
Kevin Soulliere and Dylan Montague were returning from running an errand when they saw flames coming from a home on Warren Avenue.
Soulliere was unable to make the trip alone as his right foot has been locked in a walking boot due to an injury.
Soulliere and Montague were driving in the County of Essex truck and Soulliere said they immediately stopped when they noticed the fire.
"We talked to a lady who running to the house, she was already on the phone with 911, so somebody was exiting the house, we asked if anybody was in there, she said somebody was in the basement, or she's in the basement," Soulliere said.
Soulliere said conditions were rapidly deteriorating.
"I went down to the first landing in the staircase. I was a little worried about getting my boot caught, and I just kept yelling if anybody was in there, anybody in there, you better get out because the house is on fire. I may have used some words that I'm not suppose to use, but, she came up, like she was asleep, and asked what was going on, and I said the house was on fire and we got out of there," he said.
Soulliere said they rescued the woman within less than a minute, just before smoke and flames made escape impossible.
"We were lucky. Things aligned. I know how everybody says you know, right place, right time, that literally was the way it worked out," Soulliere said.
Soulliere and Montague's bravery was praised by co-workers and County of Essex officials.
The house was gutted, but thanks to their quick actions, no lives were lost.