Columbus Cook saves a life

By Kelly Young

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

With no regard for his own safety, a Jacksonville man made three separate trips into a burning building Friday in an attempt to save a young man’s life. Thanks to his selfless efforts, that young man is still alive today.

Columbus Cook, 48, was doing yard work down the street when he saw flames coming from a neighbor’s house.

“I was weed-eating there at my father’s house - he lives there right across from their home - when I happened to see fire coming out of their window,” Cook said. “The grandmother came out screaming and hollering that her grandson was still in there, so I dropped the weed-eater and ran down to the house.”

Cook arrived at 205 W. Lincoln Street to find smoke billowing from its windows. Cook entered the house twice, but was forced to exit the building each time because of the heat and smoke.

“At first I tried to go in with my eyes open, but that didn’t work because the smoke was blocking me. I couldn’t see anything – the smoke was coming out of there like a furnace,” he said. “Closing my eyes and holding my breath was the only way I could stay in there. I went back the third time and I just started feeling around for him.”

According to Cook, he found the young man standing in the back room of the house.

“I think he was in the back room asleep when the smoke and the noise woke him up. I just starting fiddling around for him, and I got lucky that I managed to touch him, because he wasn’t saying anything,” Cook said. “When I grabbed him, he was shaking. I picked him up and brought him out of there.”

Neither were seriously hurt, although Cook was burned on the arm.

Fire Marshal Brent Smith, with the Jacksonville Fire Department, said the fire, which began at 10:10 a.m. and was contained by 10:30 a.m., was caused by a small child in the residence playing with a cigarette lighter.

“I wouldn’t say the house is a total loss, but there was a lot of fire damage to the back room and smoke damage throughout the building,” he said.

The home belonged to Ludenia Tipps, and three people were in the residence at the time of the fire.

Smith thanked Cook for his quick, selfless action.

“Had it not been for his act of unselfish behavior, there very well might have been a different outcome here today,” Smith said. “As far as I’m concerned, he was the difference between life and death for this young man. His actions today went above and beyond.”

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