A man in Middle River, Maryland, woke up to popping sounds and noticed that his neighbor’s home was on fire. Without thinking twice, he rushed and managed to save a mother and her two children, and he is being hailed as a hero.
Ring camera footage of the man rushing from his home and into the fire was shared by ABC News on TikTok. Identified as Steven Angelini, the man was asleep when his neighbor’s house caught fire. It was the aforementioned popping sounds that woke him up, and upon checking his doorbell camera, he knew something had to be done.
“By the time I got to the middle of the street, I heard horror screams,” Angelini told ABC Baltimore station WMAR. “It was haunting, it was scary, and I knew it wasn’t good.”
Reportedly, Angelini attempted to grab a ladder to help rescue the mother and her children. However, the Maryland man had been previously injured. So, instead, he instructed the mother to drop her kids, telling her he would catch them. Footage shows the two children dropping onto Angelini’s arms.
Moments later, other neighbors joined Angelini and managed to grab a ladder, allowing the mother to escape the inferno inside her home. She and her kids were safe and were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, and the Baltimore County Fire Department arrived shortly after and put out the fire. Unfortunately, the family’s dog perished in the fire.
A Selfless Hero, Reactions
Angelini’s wife, Jessica, told WMAR that this isn’t the first time her husband has intervened in such life-or-death situations. On Christmas Eve, the Maryland man rushed to help a man involved in a crash, who ended up passing away. Back in 2020, Angelini also helped a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle.
Despite his clearly heroic actions, Angelini doesn’t consider himself a hero. Instead, he believes God puts him in certain situations to help other people. He added, “I did what I would want anyone else to do for my family.”
However, users online disagreed with Angelini and hailed him as a hero. One user commented, “Hero mode activated!” Another one said, “Pray you have neighbors like these folks.” A third added, “He is a hero of the highest order.”
Angelini’s neighbors can rest assured that, should they ever face any troubles, he will be there to lend a hand.
