Young hero disobeys grandmother, saves deaf sister

By Fally Afani Ruzik

Grandma said no, but he went anyway

A young Kansas boy risked his own life to save his deaf sister from a fire.

8-year-old Michael Cowherd walked through the burned out home near Clearwater telling the story.

He says Friday night, his grandmother started yelling that there was a fire.

Michael, his grandmother, and two of his siblings got out, but 4-year-old Rebecca was trapped in her bedroom.

That's when Michael disobeyed his grandmother and went back into the burning house to save his sister.

He found her inside and safely walked Rebecca through the burning hallway and out the back door.

"She started yelling her name and I said that I will go inside to get her and she said I couldn't do that. I didn't say anything when I went inside," hero Michael Cowherd said.

"And you weren't scared?" a reporter asked.

"Nope," Michael said.

"How come you weren't scared?" the reporter asked.

"Because God was with me," Michael said.

"I lay my life down for somebody and now I know my son will do the same thing. Makes you feel good. Makes you feel real good, real proud," father Jim Cowherd said.

The children's parents were out of town when the fire broke out.

Jim is in the military and used to be a firefighter in the Navy.

He says they often practiced family fire drills.

Currently in Topeka, KS

KTKA