Saskatoon teens who rescued woman from burning house honoured with bravery awards at Government House

Three Saskatoon teens who rescued a woman from a burning house were among those honoured with bravery awards at Government House in Regina last week.

A ceremony on Friday recognized 19 people who risked their safety to help others in dire need. It was put on by The Royal Canadian Humane Association and presented by Lt.-Gov. Russell Mirasty.

Avery Chubb, Quinn Haugen and Georgia Vanderlinde were driving home after playing basketball in Martensville in November of last year when they saw thick smoke clouds coming from a house and went to investigate, according to a Royal Canadian Humane Association news release.

Upon arrival, they found someone frantically yelling that there was a woman inside the house who would not leave. They were shocked to see that there were no fire trucks or people around.

After calling 911, the teens could see the resident through the front screen door.

"We saw the woman frantically running around. She was like, 'I have cats, I have cats. I need to get them out of the house. I'm not leaving without them,'" Chubb said.

Not seeing any flames at that point, the three teens went inside. They couldn't find any cats. Vanderlinde said she went upstairs to look for them and could "feel the heat coming off the walls" and see more smoke coming into the house. 

"So you're like, we need to get this woman out of the house … but she wouldn't leave," Chubb said.

The teens grabbed some of the woman's things, and after some "gentle persuasion," managed to convince her to leave with them. As they led her out with their arms around her, a cat ran out with them.

"We went to the other side of the road and then, like, we were consoling her as she was like watching her house burn down, which was probably the most traumatic part for me," Vanderlinde said.

Cats survive

The teens said the woman was crying because four of her cats were still inside and the whole roof was on fire. But Vanderlinde said all five cats survived.

"[Firefighters] had, like, the oxygen masks on [some] of the cats and they were kind of in shambles, but they did survive. They all survived." 

According to The Royal Canadian Humane Association's news release, the fire grew rapidly and spread to the neighbouring house after the four people got out. The fire department eventually brought the raging fire under control.

"If it were not for the quick actions of Chubb, Haugen and Vanderlinde the situation could have been fatal," the association said.

The teens said they were grateful to be honoured with the bronze bravery medals and that their families are very proud.

They weren't the only ones honoured on Friday at Government House. 

Sixteen others were recognized, including Christopher and Joseph Novecosky, who were honoured posthumously. They lost their lives trying to save two children who went through the ice on Humboldt Lake in November of last year.

The Saskatoon teens said hearing the stories at the ceremony was emotional and that they're grateful no one died during the fire.

The three said they just did what they hope anyone else would do.