9-Year-Old Boy Saves Parents After Tornado Tosses Car, Leaves Them Both with Broken Backs

The brave 9-year-old ran to get help after his parents were left badly injured in the incident on April 27

A 9-year-old boy from Oklahoma is being hailed as a hero after a tornado tossed his parent's truck into a pile of trees and left them in the hospital with serious injuries.

Wayne and Lindy Baker were left badly hurt after the vehicle they were traveling in with their son Branson was swept up by an EF-4 tornado in Marietta, Okla., on April 27, CBS News reported.

The family had been heading to Dickson, Okla., to reach a storm shelter as fifteen tornadoes swept the state over the weekend. The tornados have so far reportedly killed four people and destroyed homes and businesses, per the outlet.

Wayne and Lindy both suffered broken backs, necks and ribs in the incident, according to News 9. Wayne also broke his arm and sternum and lost a part of his finger, while Lindy broke her jaw and right hand and suffered a punctured lung.

Related: At Least 5 People, Including a Baby, Dead After Tornadoes Hit Oklahoma and Iowa

While the parents were pinned in the vehicle, their son Branson was able to leave the truck and run to get help. He got a mile down the road in total darkness due to a power outage in the area, then stopped at a neighbor’s house and found some people who could help.

“He ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could, he made a mile in 10 minutes. That's pretty impressive for a little kid,” Branson’s uncle Johnny Baker told CBS News.

Johnny was also on the phone with his brother when the accident happened, per News 9.

“I heard a 'ding ding ding' like hail or rocks hitting the windshield, then a large crash and the phone went dead,” he told the outlet.

He then raced to the scene in his car and found the couple in the wreckage while Branson was running for help. “Get them out alive… that’s the only thing I was worried about,” Baker told News 9..

Related: At Least 3 Dead After Severe Storms, Suspected Tornadoes Hit Several States: ‘Pure Devastation’

Wayne and Lindy were transported to OU Medical Center where they were treated for their injuries.

"The last thing Branson told them was, 'Mom, dad, please don't die, I will be back,' " Branson’s uncle recalled. "... He had to become his parent's superman and go do what he had to go do. That's exactly what he said. He said, 'I have to save my parents.' ”

Wayne and Lindy are both independent contractors and their ability to take on work has been affected by the incident, due to their injuries, per News 9.

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A GoFundMe page has been set up in effort to help raise money for the family.

In a message on the page, organizer Teri Lloyd described the night of the incident “that many Oklahomans will never forget.”

“One of those tornadoes swept through Dickson, OK and affected our family immensely,” she wrote. “Wayne, Lindy, & Branson were seeking shelter from the tornado while on the phone with Johnny (Wayne's brother)."

“During that phone call, Johnny had to hear the unimaginable. He heard the tornado overtake them before the phone went dead. As soon as the tornado passed over, Johnny and Kaycie left to search for them. They drove through the debris and were unsure of what they were seeing when they realized they found Wayne's truck, but it was quickly confirmed to them when they heard screaming.”

Speaking on Branson’s saving efforts, Lloyd added, “.. Branson is small, but he is so mighty, he is a hero. You think all the time that children are destined to do great things, but Branson has already started on his greatness.”

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