KENNER, La. (WGNO)- An incredible rescue was made Monday morning and the woman is lucky to be alive thanks to her neighbor’s quick actions.
The Kenner woman was trapped inside of her burning house but, her neighbor, Nathan Hassel saw what was happening kicked down the door, and called first responders. She is with doctors now being treated for burns and is in critical condition.
Responding quickly is what likely saved the elderly woman’s life.
“Get her out. Just get her out,” said Nathan Hassel, who is being hailed a hero.
“We have a hero over here,” shared Kevin Armond, the neighbor. “His name is Nathan Hassel. He is my neighbor. He went in and rescue Mrs. Laurie and then, went to work.”
Waking up and about to head to work was when Nathan Hassel saw the house burning.
“She an older lady. She’s very nice. She a widower,” explained Hassel. “Just do what you gotta do.”
After pulling her to safety, he said he saw that she was burned and said she was covered in soot all over her body. Neighbors in this area say that they collect people. They are all a family and will do whatever it takes to help one another.
“Absolutely, if one person is in need, we all help,” said Hassel.
The Kenner Fire Department got a call around 7:46 on Monday morning. When they got to the house in the 3700 block of California Avenue, there was an abundance of smoke coming from the house. At first, the firefighters didn’t know if anyone was inside.
“I heard some sirens early and came out here,” said Armond, one of the neighbors. “I saw the fire trucks in front of my house and walked out and then, saw house was smoldering. The firefighters were putting on their gear and about to go in.”
Luckily, a neighbor was the first one on the scene and pulled out the woman who was inside.
We asked Hassel what’s it was like being out here knowing he saved someone and he told us, “You don’t look at it like that. You just jump into action. “
She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The fire was quickly put out and there’s no more smoke but, you can see that the roof is heavily damaged. As for what caused the fire, it’s still under investigation.