A Chattanooga toddler remains in the hospital Wednesday, after barely escaping his burning house Tuesday.
Three-year-old David Gladden III is at the Pediatric ICU at Erlanger for smoke inhalation. The Chattanooga Fire Department says Gladden's older brother, 14-year-old Eddie Pitmon appears to be a hero.
Sharon Pitmon, Eddie's Mother, may have lost everything in the fire, but she didn't lose 4 of her children, who were trapped on the second floor of her burning home. Her 14-year-old son, Eddie managed to get everyone out alive. Sharon Pitmon said, "That's my hero. He saved my whole family."
Their father had gone to the store about five minutes away, and Sharon was at work at the time. The Brainerd High School freshman and football player took it upon himself to save his family and kicked out a bedroom window. Sharon Pitmon said, "By what I hear, he was the second one out of the house, but the lady kept telling him to jump, and he would not jump because he couldn't find the other ones."
Eddie got his 4 and 6-year-old sisters out onto the roof, and waited for his 3-year-old brother, David who suffers from asthma. David had gotten lost in the smoke and couldn't see anything, but managed to find the window. Bruce Garner, Chattanooga Fire Department said, "The 14-year-old had the presence of mind to get the other kids on the roof, well into safety, and took it upon himself to then lower the other kids down to the good samaritan and the police officer first, and he was the last to come down."
Sharon Pitmon said, "I am proud of him regardless of how much I fuss and argue. And I love him to the end. He know it." The Red Cross stepped in to provide housing for the family for a few days. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
