Duncan man rescues couple from gas-filled house

David Wayne Smith doesn’t consider himself to be a hero, but the City of Lawton does.

Smith was awarded the Citation of Valor by Mayor Stan Booker on Tuesday for his actions in saving a couple whose home was filled with natural gas.

Smith, who owns D&D Glass and Mirror in Duncan, was installing glass in a Lawton man’s home about two weeks ago when he was approached by a woman. She said she had some broken windows but couldn’t find anyone to look at them. Smith agreed to take a look after he finished the job he was on.

When arrived at the house and the husband opened the door, he “got blasted in the face with natural gas,” he said. Smith said he told the husband he needed to get out, but the husband couldn’t smell the gas. Smith said the husband’s sense of smell has been affected since he had COVID.

Smith said that the smell of gas was so strong that he immediately got a headache.

“I’m so glad God gave me the ability to smell that gas,” he said. “The gas was so thick you could cut it with a knife.”

Despite his concerns about the gas, Smith measured the broken windows.

“I went and measured the windows. I was very concerned for their well being,” he said.

Smith said at one point the husband reached to turn on a light switch.

“I told him if he touched that switch that he would blow us all up,” Smith said. “All it would have taken was an arc and the neighborhood would have blown up.”

Smith said he tried four times to get the husband to leave the house, even taking him by the arm once.

“I was so afraid he wasn’t going to leave and get out and they would die in that house,” Smith said.

The husband refused to leave until his wife showed up, then Smith convinced both of them to leave.

Smith said the couple had recently had a generator installed and a new roof put on. Somehow, Smith said, the gas line was pierced.

“They had been staying in that house with gas coming out of the attic for two days, then they were about to leave on vacation,” Smith said. “The wife said she had smelled something funny, but didn’t know what it was. Anytime you smell rotten eggs and rotten eggs aren’t around, it’s natural gas.”

Once Smith convinced the couple to leave, the gas company and fire department were called.

“The man from the gas company came running out telling everyone to get out and to turn the power off,” Smith said. Smith said several homes in the neighborhood were evacuated and that it took four hours to get the smell of gas out of the house.

Smith said he was just doing what anyone else would have done.

“I didn’t expect this,” he said of the award. “Every good deed is returned. I’m glad the people are OK and the neighborhood didn’t blow up.”

Efforts to talk with the couple on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Smith plans to repair the broken glass in the couple’s home Thursday.