Cleveland firefighters are praising a 16-year-old's heroism after he jumped into action to save a family from a burning house Friday morning.
The fire started around 11 a.m. near West 140th Street and Sacramento Avenue in Cleveland.
Tyler Sowden, 16, saw smoke and heard cries for help from a neighboring home.
Without hesitation, he grabbed a ladder from his house, and video from the scene shows him running toward the flames. He positioned the ladder against the home, where a mother, holding her 10-month-old and 7-year-old, sat on a porch roof, trying to escape.
“I helped the babies down the house, helped the mother down the house,” Tyler said.
Adding to the heroic acts of the day, two Cleveland police officers saw the flames while on their lunch break and rescued an elderly man and his dog from a neighboring home that was also affected by the fire.
Not long after, Cleveland firefighters arrived to find the family out safely, including the young hero himself.
“Everybody working over here has been through the training academy. They're all well-equipped. But for that young man to come and do what he did, it's outstanding,” said Cleveland Division of Fire Public Information Officer Lieutenant Mike Norman.
Tyler’s stepdad, Matt Stamber, was emotional when he heard the news.
“Oh, because just looking at the fire ... he was just facing danger. He didn't care. He put their lives before his own,” Stamber said.
Norman says there may be a future for the brave 16-year-old.
“Signups are open for Cleveland Fire. He's too young at this time, but hopefully in a couple years, we'll bring him onboard,” Norman said.
The teen's stepdad said the world would be a better place if more people were like Tyler.
"I'm so proud of this kid," Stamber said.
The four residents of the home, including a 12-year-old who jumped from the back of the house, were all treated at MetroHealth and are all doing OK. The people in the neighboring home affected by the fire are also OK.
The Cleveland Division of Fire mentioned possibly honoring Tyler for his actions.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
