A Washington DC man is being hailed as a hero for rushing into a burning house to save his eight-year-old niece.
Derrick Byrd, 20, reportedly suffered second and third degree burns to his face, back and arms after rushing into the building when he realised his niece was trapped.
Speaking to KOMO-TV, he said: “Even though I got burns, I didn’t care. I would rather be burned than her. She is young. She still has a long way to go. She’s a good kid.”
The house fire in Aberdeen, Washington, is believed to have started while Byrd and six other family members were inside, including his sister Kayla and her three children.
Byrd caught his nephews, Junior and Royce, when they jumped out of a second-floor window. His eight-year-old niece Mercedes, on the other hand, was afraid to jump after seeing Kayla fall from the roof.
abc
Without thinking, Byrd rushed back into the house to save her. Moments later, he felt the flames engulf him.
‘I could feel it burning me,’ he explained.
‘I picked her up, took off my shirt and covered her face so she wouldn’t inhale the smoke, and just carried her out as fast as I could.’
A true hero
What’s more, despite his injuries, Byrd said he would do it again if he had to.
‘I would go back out there and do it again even if I got burns or died.’
Commenting on those calling him a hero, he simply replied, “I can’t call him a hero. I would just say that for the sake of my nieces and nephews, I wasn’t going to let them die.”
Commenting on those calling him a hero, he simply replied, “I can’t call him a hero. I would just say that for the sake of my nephews and nieces, I wasn’t going to let them die.”
What a true hero Derrick Byrd is. It’s moments like this that show the true face of a man, and Derrick can certainly be proud of him.
Share this story to honour a true hero and wish him a speedy recovery.
