Tyler Doohan, an 8-year-old died Monday, saving six people from a trailer fire in Penfield, New York
Tyler Doohan, 8, turned out to be a real hero. He died rescuing six people from a fire in a trailer. He was staying at the trailer of his grandfather with other relatives when the fire broke out.
Three people were killed in the incident including his grandfather and an uncle.
Crystal Vrooman, Doohan's mother, is still in a state of shock and can't believe that her son is no more. "It makes me really proud, it really does, but I just want him back," Vrooman reports Los Angeles Times.
Tyler was close to his grandfather and persuaded his mother to allow him to stay Sunday night with his grandfather as he did not have school on Monday. "He was his best friend," said Vrooman in a statement.
The trailer caught fire, around 4.45 a.m. ET, while everyone was asleep.
Tyler woke six of his relatives including two children and went back to the trailer to get his uncle and grandfather, who used a wheelchair. But it was too late as the fire engulfed the entire trailer, reports the Los Angeles Times.
"By that time, the fire had traveled to the back of the trailer," said Chris Ebmeyer, Penfield Fire Chief, in a statement. "Unfortunately they both succumbed to heat and smoke. The adult was found on a bed and the child nearby."
The survivors of the incident have been admitted to a nearby hospital. Had Tyler not been there, the number of fatalities would have been more, stated Ebmeyer. "He saved those other six people," Ebmeyer said, reports NBC news.
Tyler was a fourth grader at East Rochester Central School District. The school authorities have sent a letter to the families stating the exemplary contribution of Doohan in the fire incident. "It is extremely important to remember that according to emergency personnel, (Tyler) was the person who discovered the fire and tried to wake the eight other people in the residence at the time. In bravely and selflessly giving his own life, he was able to save the lives of six others - and he is truly a hero," reads the note, issued by the school authorities.
An online fundraising campaign on YouCaring.com has raised more than $28,000 as of Wednesday for Tyler's funeral. Messages of condolences and praising his bravery have poured in. One message reads, "May your selfish act of true love be inspirational for all, and may it and the wonderful way you lived your way too short life provide some solace to your family at this profound time of sadness."
