Heroes: Jim Grant Braves Inferno

Jim Grant could have kept driving. Instead, he braved a burning building to save a family in danger.

By Tamara Jones
From Reader's Digest
Advertisement
 
Into the Inferno
Photographed by Tim Tadder
"It was hotter than hades in there," says Grant, "and black with smoke."
Image


When Jim Grant spotted black smoke billowing out of a San Diego apartment building on his way to work, he stopped his car to dial 911, then did something totally out of character: The contractor circled back to take another look. "I know firefighters and police don't like lookie-loos," he says, "so I never do that." But for some reason that day, Grant made a U-turn.

Pulling up to the three-story building, Grant was surprised to find bystanders on the sidewalk but no firefighters. Flames were shooting out of a second-floor window.

"Has anyone gone into that building to make sure it's cleared out?" Grant asked. They said no-and he couldn't see or hear any fire engines approaching. Then he sprinted to a side entrance and bounded up the stairwell.

On the second floor, he opened the door to an 80-foot hallway. "It was hotter than hades in there and black with smoke," Grant says. "The smell from the burning wires and the foam and the plastic was just horrible." He crisscrossed the hallway, kicking and banging on each apartment door. Fire alarms were going off, and the sound of flames roared from the end unit. "Get out!" Grant hollered over the din. No one responded, and he assumed the residents had already escaped.

Reaching the end of the long hallway, though, Grant noticed that the door to No. 87 was open a crack. He kicked it wide open, finding a startled woman in a motorized wheelchair with a ten-year-old boy at her side and a tiny infant in her arms. "You have to get out of here right now! This building's on fire!" he screamed. The woman, Maria Catlett, looked at him in confusion and said something about getting her crutches and changing clothes.

"You have to go right now!" he insisted. Catlett stayed put. Grant, a fit 52-year-old who bikes daily around the bay, could scarcely breathe. He scooped up the baby and grabbed the boy by the collar, yelling, "C'mon! You're going with me!"

The smoke was getting thicker by the second, stinging his eyes and searing his throat. Grant was terrified that the baby would die of smoke inhalation if he didn't get her out fast. He clutched the tiny body to his chest, wrapping his jacket around her, then bolted down the hallway, dragging the little boy alongside. Safely outside, Grant handed the infant to an onlooker and turned to the boy, Hubert Catlett. "You stay with this guy," he said. "I'm going back up to get your mom."

Grant retraced his steps through the hellish passage, kicking the apartment doors-"just in case"-as he made his way back to the disabled woman's apartment. He found her in the bathroom, changing from her pajamas into jeans. "You have to leave here right now!" Grant shouted.

Must Read Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story
Share Your Comments
Post a Comment
 
Remaining Character Count:
 
just by reading it.. i almost cried.. we need more people like grant in this world.

By peggy (philippines), on 10/29/2009
Jim Grant, it's people of integrity like you who are the bravest and strongest heroes of our world.

By jennifer.jh, on 09/23/2008

See All Comments

Advertisement
 
Related Links

Advertisement

Digg

Popular stories from the source site rd.com sorted by diggs
Powered by Digg's Users