Derrick Byrd, a Washington man, bravely rushed into a burning house to rescue his eight-year-old niece, Mercedes. Despite suffering severe burns, he prioritized her safety, stating, “I’d rather get burnt than her.” Byrd, along with six family members, was inside the house when the fire broke out in Aberdeen.
When Mercedes hesitated to jump from the second floor, Byrd dashed back into the flames to save her. “I could feel it burning me,” he recalled. He shielded her face with his shirt to prevent smoke inhalation and carried her to safety.
Byrd’s selfless act saved his niece and two nephews, Junior and Royce. Despite his injuries, he expressed readiness to repeat his actions. “I’d run back in there and do it again,” he affirmed. Refusing the label of hero, Byrd emphasized his commitment to his family’s safety: “I wasn’t going to let them die.”
