A Virginia teen was relaxing inside her home when she was suddenly compelled to go to the garage for reasons she can’t explain. There, she found her dad groaning and trapped. That’s when they both found out the tiny teen had superhuman strength.
Charlotte Heffelmire was home from the Air Force Academy when the petite 19-year-old got a feeling that “something was weird,” she said. Following the unexplained urge, Charlotte walked into the garage, attached to her dad’s home in Vienna, Virginia.
As she opened the door, the soft-spoken former McLean High School pole vaulter quickly realized the garage was on fire and her father was trapped. Eric Heffelmire, Charlotte’s dad, had been working on his GMC pickup truck in the garage when a jack slipped and the massive vehicle fell on top of him.
As Charlotte’s dad laid helplessly pinned underneath his truck, things went from bad to worse. The mishap had also caused a gasoline spill, and the truck and garage both went up in flames after authorities believe the truck’s fall created a spark.
“The minute the jack slipped, there was an almost instantaneous, real strong smell of gasoline, and then just, whoosh!” Eric recalled, according to NBC. “We had a bunch of propane containers and they were cooking off — just fireballs,” he added, describing what sounds like a scene out of “Final Destination,” but it was his frightening reality.
As soon as Charlotte entered the smoke-filled garage, she realized her dad was in big trouble, and so was the rest of the house. So, the barefoot, 5 foot 6 inch, 120-pound teen flew into action, hoping to save her father, their house, and her grandmother and 3-month-old baby niece, who were both inside and unaware of the impending danger.
“I guess he was in the garage for about 10 minutes before I really just stumbled on him,” Charlotte told Fox & Friends. “I couldn’t hear anything. (I) kind of came into the garage and the garage was already on fire and really from there I kind of snapped into that whatever super mode I had at that point and kind of do what I had to do.”
Without hesitation, the teen ran to her father’s rescue, and with superhuman strength, Charlotte managed to lift the big truck twice, freeing her dad. “I felt the weight shift, and I said, ‘You almost got it,’ and then it was just ‘UGHHHHHHRRR,’ and suddenly, I’m pulled out,” Eric said, recalling his daughter’s courageous move.
Charlotte was far from done saving the day, however. Even though her dad was freed, she knew her family was still in danger. Realizing that the gas tank on the truck could explode and set the whole house on fire with her other family members still inside, Charlotte hopped into the burning vehicle and started it, hoping to get it away from the flames.
Charlotte threw the truck in gear and hit the gas, but because the truck was missing a tire and the wheel was touching the ground, it wouldn’t move. Undeterred, Charlotte punched it into four-wheel-drive and literally stood on the accelerator. Finally, she gunned the truck sideways on its three remaining wheels, away from the house.
After closing the garage door to help contain the fire, Charlotte got the rest of her family out of the house and called 911. But, she wasn’t about to stand around and wait for help as her family’s home continued to burn. Instead, she grabbed a garden hose, ran back to the garage, and tackled the flames, spraying the fire down and preventing it from spreading as they waited for firefighters to arrive.
Charlotte’s heroic efforts left her with burns to her hands and feet and a back injury that kept her from returning to the Air Force Academy as planned, but that wasn’t deterring her from her future public service plans. “If I can’t do any of the military branches, then probably just intelligence or government work,” she said. “Right now, I’m just healing up and making sure the family is OK.”
Charlotte Heffelmire was presented the Citizen Lifesaving Award by the Fairfax County fire department and Rep. Jim Moran as she was rightfully hailed a hero for saving her father, the other members of her family, and their home. She’s a real-life superhero.
Surprisingly, Charlotte doesn’t think she deserves the award or the title of hero. “They almost made me believe that I deserved it, but I still don’t think that I do,” Charlotte said, speaking of all the recognition and praise she received, according to Fox News.
Of course, her father was quick to disagree. “I think she does and much more,” Eric said. He wasn’t the only one who held those sentiments. In fact, the brave young woman was invited onto the Ellen Degeneres Show, where she was also rewarded for her efforts.
This girl is the picture of an honorable human being, dedicated to serving others no matter what. She was willing to put her own life at risk and take on what looked like an impossible task. She’s proven she’s not only selfless and strong but humble as well, and she is a credit to her generation.
Charlotte Heffelmire is also proof that, where there’s a will, there is a way and you should never judge a book by its cover. No one would ever look at this petite female and expect her to be able to lift a truck, weighing thousands of pounds, but Charlotte reminded us that, when adrenaline kicks in, you never know what someone is capable of doing.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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