NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — We surprised our latest everyday hero in Yorktown.
Matthew Wilson is a very brave teen who sprang into action to save more than a dozen people when his apartment building caught fire!
Watch: Newport News teen saves more than a dozen people in apartment fire
Matthew and his mother lost everything in that fire, and it’s why they’re staying here at a hotel until they get their new apartment.
Wilson tells us he didn’t think, he just acted when the apartment building he and his mother lived in caught fire.
“Time is of the essence, so I tried to get as many people out of the building as possible,” Wilson said.
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He said his mother initially heard the alarm beeping, so he went out to the hallway to check and instantly smelled smoke.
“I turned to my mother, while I was on the stairs, I said, 'get the dog and get out,'” said Wilson. “And yeah, just went upstairs, started banging on some doors, try to get everyone out.”
The Warwick high school junior then ran door to door, banging on each to make sure his neighbors got out safely-even running back in and out of the building multiple times.
“He came out and he went back in, and that is pretty surreal for a mom to think about,” said his mother, Lara West.
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His swift actions getting recognized by the Coastal Chapter of the American Red Cross who nominated him for his heroism.
“I've been going to fires for years, and it's not often that someone like you takes the actions that you did. You are truly a blessing in all those lives,” said Bill Egerton, the Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross Coastal Territory.
It’s why we decided to surprise Matthew as he got off his school bus.
“I did not expect this at all,” Matthew told us as we handed him his award.
“I'm so proud of him,” said his mother. “He's such a good boy, and he has so much kindness in his heart. I'm just so super proud of him.”
If you know of someone doing great in your community, let us know! Nominate them for an Everyday Hero Award here.
