OGDEN -- Three people were recognized Friday by Mayor Matthew Godfrey for their help in saving the lives of two children caught in the basement of a home that was on fire several weeks ago.
Godfrey recognized Charles Trevor Wallick, Joshua Conrad and Jordan Haviland for rescuing Haviland's brother and sister, Payton Harris, 11, and Taylee Harris, 8, from a basement window on June 25.
"They showed a tremendous amount of bravery," Godfrey said, referring to the three people who rescued the children and the children themselves.
Jordan, 17, recounted that he was at their home, 1606 Madison Ave., on the June 25 morning when he heard something and smelled a fire but thought it was someone burning bacon. When he heard loud pops, he knew it wasn't breakfast and something else was wrong. He looked into the back of the home and saw it was engulfed in flames.
His first thought?
"I had to get everyone out," he said.
So he ran downstairs, told Payton and Taylee they needed to leave and ran back upstairs. When he got out of the home, he turned around and saw his younger siblings weren't with him.
Payton said they couldn't get out because the fire was too big. He said he tried to use a fire extinguisher, but it didn't work. The two younger siblings then went to the 16-by-24-inch window and began yelling for Jordan.
"I was thinking, 'I'm scared,'ââ" Payton said. "ââ'Somebody help me before I die.'ââ"
Jordan heard the children and went to the window. Before he realized it, neighbors Wallick and Conrad were by his side, helping him break the metal frame off the window to reach the children.
"Looking at the kids, I was just scared," Conrad said. "What if we couldn't get them out?"
The three were able to break through the window in about five minutes -- five very long minutes, Conrad said -- and Jordan jumped into the home to lift his siblings out to the two neighbors, who were passing by on their way to go bowling.
All three were able to get out of the home.
"Going back into the house after, I just thought if anything would have been different, it would have been horrible," Jordan said.
Godfrey awarded Jordan, Conrad and Wallick a commemorative coin and certificate honoring the three for their actions. Payton and Taylee also received a coin for their bravery during the fire.
"They did everything exactly right," Godfrey said.
The three siblings were also given tickets to iFly, the indoor skydiving wind tunnel located in the Junction.
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