Ten-year-old Brianna Vance was your average daddy’s little girl until yesterday. Today however, she is being credited with saving her father’s life – all thanks to some quick thinking by the little girl. Brianna’s father and his two other friends will be indebted to the actions of the girl for the rest of their lives.
According to ABC News , On June 10, the Brianna was at her home when a severe storm hit the Henlawson neighborhood in West Virginia, where she stays. Her father Gregory Vance and two of his friends were sitting outside the home on the front porch when disaster struck. An unexpected bolt of lightning hit a tree that was standing right in front of their home. Within seconds, the huge tree crashed on to the home. Brianna’s father and his friends were caught unawares and couldn’t react in time. Within seconds, the men were under the crushing weight of the tree, badly injured and fighting for their lives.
Brianna, who was inside her home at the time of the incident was horrified at the sight of her dad being crushed under the tree. She wanted to call for help but realized that the land line wasn’t working. The storm had knocked out cellphone signals as well. Somehow, Brianna was able to get hold of a phone and managed to get online to Facebook. It is unclear if she tried calling emergency services at that point. With no time to lose, Brianna posted a video of herself pleading for help from people who would watch her.
In the video, Brianna is heard saying:
“The lightning crashed and hit a tree by our porch and my dad’s almost dead. He needs an ambulance please. Please call one for us if you have a signal. We live in a yellow house.”
At that point of time, social media was the only option for her, Brianna says.
“I was scared. I needed help. My dad needed help. So I had to post that.”
As soon as she posted her message, someone saw it and immediately called 911. Emergency crew was immediately dispatched to the area where Brianna lived. They managed to find Brianna’s home and the three men were rescued. The trio were rushed to the hospital where they were treated and were soon released.
According to Lieutenant Tim Granger of Logan County Fire Department, it was Brianna’s quick thinking that saved her father’s and his friend’s lives.
“This is the real hero, that little girl, and I hope she gets recognized for her heroism,” Granger said.
Brianna’s dad is still recovering from his injuries and on father’s day yesterday, the gutsy 10-year-old had a message for her dad.
“I hope you get well soon,because you are the best dad I could ever ask for.”
All said, there is still some uncertainty regarding the entire episode. People are questioning as to how Brianna managed to go online if all communication lines were down in the first place. For others, they are questioning how a 10-year-old managed to get on to Facebook when the minimum age for joining Facebook happens to be 13. The news of this social media rescue comes hours after The Inquistr had reported about people on Facebook coming together to save a trapped dog.
[Image via YouTube]