SALISBURY, MD – According to reports, an 11-year-old is being hailed a hero after running back into a burning apartment building to rescue his two-year-old sister.
11-year-old boy rescues baby sister from apartment fire in Maryland #fire #rescue #salisbury #maryland #boy #brother #sister #save #apartmen pic.twitter.com/DhPUATTbcd
— KameraOne (@kamera_one) November 24, 2022
The blaze broke out on the evening of November 22nd on the second floor of a two-story apartment building in a town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
According to the state fire marshal’s office, the young boy initially fled the building when he heard the smoke alarms going off, but then realized that his sister was still inside. That is when he decided to race back into the burning building to rescue her.
Thankfully, the boy only suffered minor injuries including a small burn to his arm and the two-year-old was not hurt at all. Due to being minors, the children’s names were not immediately released.
Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control within 10 minutes of arriving on scene. However, two of the eight apartments were left uninhabitable as a result of the fire. The Red Cross is also helping the displaced residents.
Investigators have ruled the fire accidental, blaming an “unspecified electrical event” in a second-floor bedroom outlet. The fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damage to the structure and another $40,000 in damage to its contents.
Heroic 11-Year-Old Boy Rescues Toddler Sister From Burning Maryland Home, Officials Say https://t.co/QJQMJuS6HS
— Laurel Blasso (@LaurelBlasso) November 23, 2022
The young boy, identified as Laprentis Doughty said that he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try to rescue his little sister, Loyalty. He said in a statement:
“If I didn’t save my sister, I would be mad at myself because I could’ve saved her easily. I could have saved her, and I would risk my life for my sister.”
Laprentis’ mom, Keishuana Banks, is beyond grateful for her son’s bravery. She said:
“I feel bad because I don’t know how to reward him right now. I praise him and let him know, ‘Do you know you did a good job?’ But I’m still trying to process everything. I’m still in shock.”
The mayor of Salisbury, Jake Day, said that he has a surprise planned for Laprentis to recognize his heroism. He said:
“As a mayor, I’m always looking for citizens who are selfless, citizens who are willing to lead, and we’ve got one right here.”
Even after everything that has happened, Laprentis said that he is filled with joy. He said:
“I feel good that my sister’s alive today. I feel happy that Thanksgiving is tomorrow.”
The family will be staying in a hotel for the time being and is being assisted by the Red Cross. A GoFundMe page has been set up for donations to assist the family during this difficult time.
In White County, Georgia, a young boy is also being hailed a hero for saving his family from a fire.
On the morning of November 18th, the boy, Keegan Sinclair, woke up his sleeping parents after noticing smoke filling their house and because of his quick actions, his parents were able to get him and his baby brother safely out of the house.
Once outside, they found an exterior outlet on fire and the flames were quickly extinguished.
During a brief ceremony at White County Fire Station 4 on November 23rd, White County Public Safety Director David Murphy presented Keegan with a certificate of recognition, calling him the “hero of the night.” Murphy said to the young boy:
“We have these men and women who work every day and run into burning buildings and go help people who are sick and answer the 911 calls and go to the things were people need help, so you’re part now of all these heroes.”
Along with the certificate signed by Murphy and White County Fire Chief Mike LeFevre, Keegan received a gift bag from Chick-fil-A.
Neighbor helps rescue family from Warren house fire https://t.co/6UoWOp65l7
— usa jaun news (@UsaJaun) November 25, 2022
In Warren, Ohio, a family is counting their blessings after a fire destroyed their home on the night of November 23rd. Despite Warren firefighters’ efforts, the house was a complete loss and now the family no longer has a home.
However, one man did go above and beyond, ensuring that those inside of the home were safe. Colton Trent and his fiancé live up the street and were walking their dogs when they heard children screaming, “Fire!” Trent said:
“It looked just pretty much like a big bonfire at the moment. I hopped in the car and drove over here as fast as I could. The three little children were outside at the front of the house.”
He said that the kids told him their sister and mom were trapped upstairs; he ran to find a way into the burning house. Trent said:
“Soon as I got to the bottom of the steps, something exploded in the trash dumpster. I took off running into the house to see if there was any way to the top through the actual main house.”
He said his instinct was to make sure everyone left the house alive, adding:
“I don’t want to see a kid without a parent and I don’t want to see a parent without a kid. That’s all I was thinking, was just, ‘get everybody out.’ I didn’t care if I was put at risk or not, I just wanted everybody out.”
Everyone made it out of the house safely, but they are still searching for all of their pets.
