Xavier Lewis is training to become a firefighter, inspired by the man who rescued him from a house fire in the late 90s.
“I could never repay him for giving me a chance at life,” Lewis said. “I can only live a great life for him and my son. I owe him my life.”
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Lewis, 26, shared his miraculous story and their incredible reunion on social media.
“When I was 2 years old my house caught on fire & I was trapped inside, I ended up dying that day & this firefighter, Jeff Ohs, saved me from that building & brought [me] back to life,” he tweeted.
“Now 23 years later he is holding my 2-year-old son,” Lewis added. “I literally wouldn’t be here without him.”
The two reunited in Las Vegas two decades after Ohs’ heroic efforts in Long Beach, California.
“Dude!!! You are a fighter through and through,” Ohs told Lewis on social media. “And honestly you scared the shit out of me that day. So blessed for the outcome. Love you guys.”
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Ohs recalled the October 1999 day he found little Xavier, a toddler at the time, unresponsive on the floor. He had not been burned but was impacted by the smoke.
“I picked him up, ran outside with him and we did CPR and mouth-to-mouth on the front grass for I don’t know how long,” Ohs told Fox News.
It was all caught on camera, thanks to Kendall Hardman, a photography student who lived across the street.
“Jeff was doing CPR and there were no questions,” Hardman told the outlet. “He got up with him and started running with him to the ambulance.”
Ohs dropped Lewis off at the hospital, checked in on him frequently for days until he was finally released, and they gave him a hero’s ride home in the fire engine.
The families have kept in touch over the years and recently had a meal to meet Lewis’ toddler, Ezra.
“It’s funny because his face just looks the same to me,” Ohs said of Lewis. “But he is like 6’2″ and he is a full-grown man with his own family and child and stuff.”
Ohs retired from fire service in 2021 and is now an emergency manager for the University Police in Las Vegas. Inspired by Ohs, Lewis is training to be a firefighter himself.
“Jeff is honestly just my hero. He is someone I look up to very much,” Lewis said. “Someone saved my life and they didn’t even know me. I hope I can do the same for someone else.”
Lewis recommended Mynda Ohs’ book, “Fully Involved: A Guide for Being in a Relationship with a Firefighter.”
“It’s written to arm you with no-nonsense advice on how to cope, grow, and flourish in your relationship and partnership with a firefighter,” Lewis said.
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Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.
