Kevin Rivera, 22, says it took the family a minute to realize their house was on fire. Especially because of a language barrier. But with his help, the family of six and their two pets got out safely.
Kevin Rivera, a former Amazon driver from Long Island, is being hailed a hero after saving a family from a fire while delivering packages. Rivera was wrapping up his shift when he saw one of the houses he often delivered to on fire.
“I called 911,” he told Inside Edition Digital. “I called it in, then I got out the van and I screamed to make sure if anybody was inside the house. An elderly guy came out and just started staring at the fire, so I'm guessing he didn't understand what I was saying to him. So when I saw more people in the background inside the house, that's when I rushed inside to get everybody out safely.”
It took the family some time to realize their house was on fire, and though it was difficult to communicate because of a language barrier, Rivera was able to help the family of six and their two pets escape the blaze.
“Everyone's saying, ‘You're crazy for risking your own life for some people that you didn't even know,’" Rivera said. “But I'm like, I couldn't let them die there either, you know?”
Although what he did was dangerous, Rivera said it had to be done.
“The thing that made me really want to go inside the house too is because when I saw a baby, the lady holding the baby by the kitchen," he said. "Because I have a 3-month-old baby, so that made me run. My adrenaline went to the top and I just rushed in there.”
Since the incident, Rivera, who has since begun working for FedEx, has tried to check in on the family but hasn’t located them.
“I tried to go down that street all the time on my days off,” he explained. “I could never find their contact or their info where they're living at right now, just to check up on them to see if they're okay.”
The local fire department plans to honor Rivera for his bravery, a gesture for which he said he is grateful.
“It's something crazy,” Rivera said. “I wasn't expecting none of this to get so big [with] the media and stuff. And now it's this big, so for me to get this honor from the fire department honestly makes me feel great about myself and my family.”
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