An unnamed runner in South Brunswick, New Jersey, was getting in her early morning miles on Wednesday when something made her pause. She noticed smoke and fire coming from a home in the residential area.
An 85-year-old neighbor named Santo Livio was going about his morning routine and had also noticed “fog” coming from the house, according to ABC7 New York. Together, Livio and the runner sprung into action and helped save the family inside from the fire.
“She starts to run, she was banging on the door, I was banging on the window,” Livio told the news station. “I said I’ll go home and call 911. Police and firefighters started coming and the smoke became a blaze.”
Fire alarms didn’t go off inside the home, and the family sleeping inside had no clue that they were in danger until hearing Livio and the runner banging on their door and window. A father and four children were rescued, according to fire officials. The mother wasn’t at home because she was working an overnight shift.
The fire chief, Raymond J. Hayducka, expressed gratitude to Livio and the South Brunswick runner, saying that it was “their quick thinking and heroic actions” that saved the family.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
