Devoted Dad Risks His Own Life And Heads Straight Into Danger To Rescue His Sleeping Kids
March 04, 2021
When a South Dakota house fire blazed, one devoted dad rushed back into the flames to rescue his children.
One man experienced God’s protection when a fire raged in his South Dakota home with his family inside. This devoted dad risked his own life and headed straight into danger to rescue his sleeping kids!
RELATED: Miami Firefighter Lives Out His Worst Nightmare While Responding To A Fire At His Own House
Paul Wickham doesn’t have much to show for his life except for the love of his family. But that’s okay with him. His wife, four kids, and their dog surround him. He counts himself as blessed. Even with his family homeless and all of their things gone.
Paul is missing half of his beard along with his eyelashes. But he is thankful that’s all the injuries he had after a fire broke out in his South Dakota home. He said his family members are all heavy sleepers; had the fire broken out twenty minutes later, Paul thinks he would be telling a different story.
WATCH: Devoted Dad Saves Family from South Dakota House Fire
It was a night like any other and everyone had gotten settled into bed. But then his wife realized a fire had broken out and she screamed, “There’s a fire, there’s a fire,” he said. But the fire wasn’t in the living room or kitchen. It was in the basement where all four of his kids were sleeping.
Paul grabbed the fire extinguisher to fight the flames but it was too dangerous and too hot. “The flames were jumping through the walls and through the stairs,” he said. When he realized the fire was going to consume the entire house, he began yelling at his kids to wake up and get out.
South Dakota House Fire Sends Heroic Dad Into Action
The family had a fire escape plan and everyone including their dog made it out of the house. Everyone seemed accounted for but Paul couldn’t find his youngest, daughter Dixie.
RELATED: Woman Narrowly Escapes Deadly House Fire Where Only Prayer Room Is Left Standing
So, he did what any father would do. He walked through the fiery flames to rescue his little girl!
“He went back inside because he didn’t think I was out,” Dixie said. When Paul realized his daughter wasn’t in the house, it was time to rescue himself when a big wall of flames blocked his way out. But God was him, just like in Isaiah 43:2 when God tells us He is always with us, even when we walk through fire!
Paul made it out of the house fire with his life and family! Even though they lost everything except for the clothes on their backs, he knows just how blessed he is.
Because of their loss, a friend started a GoFundMe page to help them get back on their feet. Now they’re looking at a new beginning and they’re dreaming of a place in the country to rebuild!
Can we all say, Praise God for watching over this family?
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Devoted Dad Battles To Walk Daughter Down The Aisle And Then Passes Away 34 Hours Later
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD.” Isaiah 43:2-3
LISTEN: Heroic Off-Duty Firefighter Uses Final Moments To Save 3 Girls As His 10-Year-Old Daughter Watches AND Fishermen Find Mystery Woman Floating at Sea and Discover She’d Been Missing for 2 Years
h/t: KELOLAND NEWS
Featured Image Credit: Youtube/KELOLAND News
Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart through a Disappointing Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 22
I pray you will open your eyes to God today while he holds your hand and heart through all the hard stuff surrounding you. Let’s choose thankfulness. It absolutely does help, dear friend.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart through a Disappointing Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 22
I pray you will open your eyes to God today while he holds your hand and heart through all the hard stuff surrounding you. Let’s choose thankfulness. It absolutely does help, dear friend.
Past Stories
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
- These Four Sisters Share a Birthday, Which is Quite the Miracle
- Dad Harmony Sings a Beautiful A Cappella Rendition of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love'
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Matthew West | '18 Summers' (acoustic)
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
CCM Magazine Oak Ridge Boys Singer William Lee Golden Shares How Group Has Navigated Recent Loss and Grief
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Inspires with Powerful 'Stand' Lyric Video Performance
CCM Magazine Josh Baldwin | 'Thank You Jesus' (acoustic)
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.