15-Year-Old Boy Rescues Younger Brother After Tree Falls on Him at Ind. Campsite: 'So Thankful'
An 8-year-old boy has his older brother to thank for saving his life after a tree fell on top of him during a Father's Day camping trip in Indiana.
Denise Sanchez said she was enjoying an early Father's Day celebration with her family and five kids at Lieber State Recreation Area in Cloverdale when the incident happened on Saturday, according to CW affiliate WISH-TV.
As Sanchez was using the restroom, a tree fell on their campsite and, unbeknownst to the mom of five, hit her 8-year-old son Robert, the outlet reported.
"I thought I was like, so crazy," Robert recalled to WISH-TV. "My arm was hurting so bad."
Realizing that his younger brother was trapped, Neithan Morales quickly jumped into action and rushed towards the tree to help free Robert from its heavy limbs.
"I [saw] the tree and then I [saw] Robert just sitting there and ran after him," Morales, 15, explained to WISH-TV.
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Though Sanchez did not witness the incident, she told the outlet that she felt the impact of the tree hitting the ground and came out of the bathroom to several people rushing towards her family.
"The force, the thump, was so loud that I couldn't believe it. I was pretty far from there, and you could feel it," Sanchez, who lives in Indianapolis, recalled to WISH-TV. "All the people from the campsites around were running toward us, and there was this humongous tree on the ground."
Following Morales' heroic rescue, Robert was transported by the local fire department to Riley Hospital for Children, where he was treated for a broken arm, the outlet reported.
"The Putnamville Fire Department was amazing," Sanchez explained to WISH-TV. "They kept him contained the whole way there."
Added Robert: "I thought it was cool because I talked with them for a little bit... I was saying, 'Did you ever deal with kids like that?'"
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Now at home recovering, Robert said he is incredibly grateful to his older brother for intervening and ensuring that nothing worse happened.
"I was so thankful because if he didn't do it, I'd be crushed," Robert told WISH-TV.
As for Sanchez, she hopes the incident will serve as a reminder to others about how precious life truly is.
"That storm [on Saturday night] was huge. The wind was hard. Most of the tents had flooded, but I didn't expect it to fall the next day," she explained to the outlet. "Camping can be so fun and, in a moment's notice, anything can change."
"Nothing could have prevented it," she added. "I'd say being prepared for a problem is best especially in an area with no cell service."
