A Washington man is rightfully being hailed a hero after charging into a burning home to save his eight-year-old niece.
Reports detail how 20-year-old Derrick Byrd suffered second and third-degree burns on his face, back, and arms, having rushed into the building when he became aware his niece was trapped.
Speaking to KOMO-TV, he said: “Even though I got burnt, I really didn’t care, though. I’d rather get burnt than her. She’s young. She’s still got a lot of stuff going for her. She’s a good kid.”
The fire, at a home in Aberdeen, Washington is believed to have started while Byrd and six other family members were inside, including his sister, Kayla, and her three children.
Byrd caught his nephews, Junior and Royce, when they jumped from a window on the second floor. His eight-year-old niece Mercedes, however, was too afraid to jump after having watched Kayla fall from the roof.
Without thinking, Byrd dashed back into the house to rescue her. Within moments, he could feel the flames on him.
“I could feel it burning me,” he explained.
“I got her and took my shirt off and put it around her face so she wouldn’t breathe in any smoke and I just carried her out as fast as I could.”
True hero
What’s more, despite suffering injuries, Byrd said he would do it again if he had to.
“I’d run back in there and do it again even if I got burnt worse or died.”
Commenting on all those dubbing him a hero, he simply replied: “I can’t say a hero. I’d just say for my niece and nephews, I wasn’t going to let them die.”
What a genuine hero Derrick Byrd truly is. In moments like that, people’s true colours are shown, and Derrick can certainly be proud of his.
Adele stands up for a fan who was harassed by security at her show and lets him sing
Adele showed her unwavering commitment to her fans at a recent concert at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas when she intervened on behalf of a fan who was being harassed by security guards. During their performance, fan Juan Pablo Lastra stood and sang along as security repeatedly asked him to sit down.
Noticing the fan’s distress, Adele interrupted the performance of her song “I Drink Wine” to address the issue. From the stage she asked: “Why is this young fan being harassed for just standing up? What is the problem?” She then told security to leave Juan alone and assured him: “You won’t be bothered anymore, darling. Just enjoy the show”.
Juan, who recorded the concert with a 360-degree camera, captured Adele’s supportive gesture. His footage quickly went viral on TikTok, receiving over a million views across various posts. After Adele’s intervention, the guard stood down and a senior security official assured Juan that he could remain standing.
The audience responded with cheers, showing their appreciation for Adele’s actions. This moment occurred during her stint on “Weekends With Adele” and reflected her genuine concern for her fans.
Check out the video below to witness Adele’s touching moment of support.
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