Good Samaritan praised for saving family from house fire

RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WXIX) - A Good Samaritan is being praised for his life-saving actions in an early Friday fire.

Lisa Pierson, 53, says she and her fiance were sleeping when their cabin on North County Line Road in Sunman went up in flames around 4 a.m.

Barnes says he parked in the driveway and ran up to the home as he shouted, banging all the cabin’s doors to alert everyone inside of the fire.

Barns says he parked in the driveway and ran up to the home as he shouted, banging all the cabin’s doors to alert everyone inside of the fire.

“One of [the doors] happened to be unlocked, so I opened up the door and ran into the house, and started screaming, ‘there’s a fire, we’ve got to get everyone out,’” explained Barnes.

Adrenaline took over, as Barnes says he helped get everyone out of the burning home and to safety.

Within 15 minutes, Barnes says the home was gone.

“I just did what I thought was right,” Barnes said. “We were fortunate to get there at the right time. God was looking out for them, and I was really appreciative of that.”

Pierson says she bought the cabin 10 years ago and was in the middle of remodeling it.

Friday’s early morning fire did more than destroy the cabin, as Pierson explains.

“I can’t replace my father’s things, and that’s what gets me,” Pierson says. “That’s what upsets me. I don’t have the original pictures. His coin collection is all gone, those are things I can’t replace.”

As Pierson’s family grieves the loss of the more than 170-year-old cabin, they’re focused on the journey ahead.

She says they are blessed by Barnes’ kindness and that of others in their tight-knit community to get them through.

“Within five minutes of Caleb waking us, the top story of the house had collapsed,” Pierson explains. “Had it not been for Caleb, I wouldn’t be here today. We’re very grateful we’re alive, very grateful.”

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

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