Andy Goforth and Daven Hug, two young men, were hailed as heroes in Nashville, Illinois, after they noticed smoke at the Village Apartments retirement home. They immediately contacted emergency services, but knowing help wouldn’t arrive instantly, they courageously went inside. The smoke was thick and visibility was poor, but they didn’t hesitate. They searched the building floor by floor, going into apartments, knocking on doors, and waking residents, many of whom were older and had trouble hearing. They successfully led over a dozen people to safety.
After the rescue, some residents required medical care: two were flown to hospitals for burn treatment, another was treated for smoke inhalation, and the Red Cross arranged temporary housing for those displaced at a nearby church. Illinois State Representative Charlie Meier praised the teens’ “heroic actions,” while Goforth and Hug downplayed their bravery, saying they just did what anyone would have done.