MASON CITY, Iowa (KTTC) -- The home of two Mason City women was severely damaged during a fire early Thursday morning, but thanks to the actions of one man just passing by, the two women are still here to thank him for saving their lives.
It was as simple as knocking on the door, but that action by Josh Bendickson was enough to get the two women out of the house in time.
For Viola Price and Sharon Anderson, Thursday is a day to be thankful.
"Wow. My friend tells me I have nine lives," says Sharon Anderson. "This is my second. Second life's gone now."
An early morning fire, started by overheated air conditioning cords right where the women were sleeping, takes over their home and nearly takes their lives.
"I woke up to some red stripes kind of going down the outside of my window," explains Anderson. "So, I got up to look and it was falling on my air conditioner and it looked like fire."
Yet that is not the entire story. It was the actions of someone simply passing by, Josh Bendickson, that saved Viola and Sharon's lives.
"No, he said 'Your house is on fire, you have to get out of there.' The flames were coming out of the roof, he said," Anderson shares.
While they sort out the damage and count their blessings, one man at the right place at the right time is now considered a neighborhood hero.
Sharon and her entire family have already received significant community support and are very thankful that Josh Bendickson took the time to knock on their door.
