A group of high schoolers in tuxes and gowns turned their junior prom night into something unforgettable, but not for the usual reasons.
On May 17, as their classmates danced the night away, Whitesboro High School students Aiden Kane, Morgan Randall, Donato Jellenichr, and Tyler Sodj were heading to grab some late-night appetizers after leaving prom early. But a sharp-eyed observation and a fast-acting crew turned the end of their night into a heroic rescue mission in Marcy, New York.
“We left the prom a little early to go to One Genny [in New Hartford],” Kane told local outlet Observer-Dispatch. “We got a few appetizers with our friends before heading to Donato’s house to get changed out of our prom clothes. And on the way, [my girlfriend] Morgan saw [the garage] burning.”
Without hesitation, the teens jumped into action.
“Everyone jumped out of the car,” Kane said. “Donato immediately called 911, Tyler ran towards the garage to check it out and I ran up to the door and started pounding on it.”
In video captured by the group, flames rage from the garage as Kane bangs on the family’s door. Moments later, a young girl appears.
“Your house is on fire!” Kane tells her.
“I know, my dad’s calling the police,” she responds, while children’s screams echo in the background.
“You’ve got to get out,” Kane urges. Another teen gently reassures the family as they flee the house: “You’re okay, hey, you’re okay. Just walk over here. Come here, come here!”
The father runs out to join them. Kane points out that the kids are “over by my car” and confirms no one else is inside.
As Kane comforted the family, Donato stayed on the line with 911, and Sodj kept a close eye on the fire. He later told WKTV that it “sounded almost like gunshots popping.”
“Something clearly exploded and the fire got pushed out pretty far,” Sodj said. “So if Aiden didn’t go up there and get those people out, I think that the fire could have spread.”
Kane described the moment to WKTV: “I slammed and knocked on the door and there was two little girls and a dad. I grabbed the girls, ran them across the street to where my girlfriend comforted them, because they were really upset.”
Despite the chaos, none of the teens hesitated.
“We didn’t think twice,” Sodj said simply.
And according to Maynard Fire Chief Jared Pearl, their timing made all the difference.
“If they didn’t do this, if they didn’t get everyone out and call 911, it may have been three to four minutes before we got there,” Pearl told the New York Post. “And by then, the house would have been fully involved.”
Their prom night ended not with a slow dance or a sparkly photo booth snap, but with bravery, teamwork, and the rescue of an entire family.
Now that’s a night to remember.
