Teen's quick thinking saves family next door stuck on their roof during house fire
"I wasn't thinking. I just took the ladder and ran."

Teen's quick thinking saves family stuck on roof during fire
We never expect to be put into a position to save someone's life, especially if we didn't sign up for that in any official capacity. Since it's something most people don't expect, there's no telling how a person would react when faced with the harrowing circumstances. We'd all like to believe we'd automatically jump up and do the right thing but until it happens in real time there's no way to tell.
Tyler Sowden found himself having to make the incredible split second decision to save the lives of his neighbors and he did so without hesitation. Though Tyler is only 16-years-old, it didn't matter when it came to helping a mom and her children trapped on their roof while their home beneath them burned.
Tyler tells WKRC that he could hear screaming from his house and when he hopped up to see why there was such a loud commotion going on outside, he was met with the unthinkable.
Reese Witherspoon Fire GIF by HULUGiphy
"I was in my house," he says to WKRC. "I heard screaming. I seen the kid on top of the roof. The house was on fire, so I took a ladder, ran over, put the ladder up," he further explains that he grabbed the kids and helped the mom down the ladder.
According to WPLG Local 10, there were originally four people in the home that made it to the roof, the mother, her 12-year-old, 7-year-old and 10-month-old. The oldest child had already jumped off of the roof to safety but the mother and two younger children were trapped with no way down without risking serious injury. But staying on the roof was also not an option as it may have caught fire with the mother and children still on the roof.
Episode 2 Nbc GIF by One ChicagoGiphy
Thanks to Tyler's quick thinking, he acting fast taking the exact type of ladder needed to reach the trapped family. In the incredible video caught by a nearby home survelliance system, you see the teen lay the ladder against the roof then quickly climb it as another bystander holds it steady. When he reaches the top of the ladder the mother hands him the baby first. He swiftly tucks the baby under his arm like a football and hands him off the the woman holding the bottom of the ladder before heading back up for the second child.
His actions were so impressive that they caught the attention of the local fire department, with Lieutenant Mike Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department telling WPLG Local 10, "I give him a lot of credit, just to react, to think ahead, to bring the ladder. He brought the right ladder to the scene and helped that woman and her children down, I mean, he saved three lives today."
The boy's stepfather who was not at home during the incident expressed how proud he is of Tyler to WKRC saying, "He just jumped into action no questions asked, risking his life to save the others," he said. "Just goes to show you, he valued other people's lives more than his own at the time just to do what he needed to do. He knew what needed to be done and he did it. I'm so proud of this boy."
Shortly after the family was saved from the roof, it caved in and the fire quickly spread to the home next door where an elderly man and his dog had to be evacuated. Thankfully everyone is safe and doing well all because of Tyler's quick action.