CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A man from Caledonia Township had to be resuscitated by first responders after neighbors helped rescue him from a house fire on Sunday.
As of Monday morning, he remained hospitalized in critical condition, according to the Kent County Sheriff's Office.
"Whether or not he's okay, we don't know, but we're hoping for a full recovery," said Juanita McCambridge, the man's next door neighbor who, along with her husband, pulled him away from the burning house.
The fire happened at around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night at a house on Channel Drive near Campau Lake.
By the time the McCambridges saw the flames, they had already engulfed much of the home.
"We could hear somebody yelling for help, so we immediately ran over to see what we could do," Juanita said.
She spotted a man lying on the ground in the backyard.
"He wasn't moving, he wasn't responsive, he wasn't able to speak to me," she said.
She and her husband pulled him to safety.
Then, they heard a hissing sound — "like something was heating up" — and a loud, fiery blast erupted from the house.
When first responders arrived on scene, they "immediately initiated CPR and successfully revived" the man, according to the Kent County Sheriff's Office, "restoring his pulse and breathing" before transporting him to the hospital.
The man also suffered burns and broken ribs and his son, also at the home at the time of the fire, was burned but not seriously hurt.
I spoke with the son on Monday afternoon. He identified himself as Tom Chehowski III and his father as Tom Chehowski Jr. He also said his pet cat and pet raccoons died in the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
"I hope that they're okay, and I hope that they get the help that they need to rebuild their lives," Juanita said.
