‘Everyone Out—Now!’ Hero 12-Year-Old Saves Siblings From ATV Fire Moments Before Final Explosion
When an ATV burst into flames, one brave brother risked everything to save his siblings
Key Takeaways
- 12-year-old Roman rescued three younger children from a burning ATV.
- The vehicle exploded just seconds after the final child was pulled to safety.
- Despite the smoke and heat, Roman went back into the flames to free a friend.
A routine ride to the bus stop turned terrifying when flames erupted beneath a family’s ATV. But 12-year-old Roman didn’t hesitate as he leapt into action! Here, they share their story with Woman’s World.
“Seatbelts!” Andi Goodnight reminded her children as they climbed into the ATV.
Roman, 12, often drove the ranch’s Polaris RZR. On school mornings, he took his siblings Lindel, 6, Aspen, 9, and 6-year-old friend Moeshan across pastures to the bus stop outside their 300-acre ranch in Coweta, Oklahoma. The trip usually took 10 minutes, but one morning last October, the ride turned into a brush with danger.
Explosion Turns Routine into Danger
Roman and Lindel chatted in the front seat while Aspen and Moeshan sat in the back. Roman pulled up near the ranch hand’s bungalow and turned off the engine — and the first explosion blasted. Aspen glanced behind her and saw the cargo bed was ablaze!
“Everyone out — now!” Roman shouted, and Lindel and Aspen scrambled out. But not Moeshan.
“I’m stuck!” she cried as flames circled. Her backpack strap twisted into her seat belt, trapping her in thick smoke.
Without hesitation, Roman climbed back into the burning ATV. Heat blasted his face as he unclicked the belt and yanked the strap free. The back door was blocked by flames, so he pulled her into the front and out the passenger side.
As their feet hit the ground, a second explosion went off.
“Run—go with Lindel to the porch!” he told them.
Then he realized someone was missing. “Aspen? Where are you?”
Aspen stood behind the ATV, next to the flames.
“Get away!” he shouted, but she was frozen with fear.
A Split-Second Decision Saves Lives
Roman dashed over, grabbed her and ran. They had taken a few steps when another explosion boomed, shooting flames where Aspen had just been.
The ranch hand’s wife opened the door.
“Inside! Quick!” she urged, calling the fire department and then their mom, Andi.
Soon she and her husband, Gary, were racing across the ranch as black smoke filled the air.
“It’s okay—you’re safe now!” Andi comforted the shaken children.
Firefighters doused the ATV, and investigators never found the cause of the fire. What they did agree on was that Roman’s quick thinking saved three lives that morning.
Soon, Roman was back driving to the bus stop. Aspen was nervous, but Andi reassured her, “You have your big brother to keep you safe!”
“I only did what I needed to,” Roman insists. “I couldn’t let anything bad happen to my family!”
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