Louisiana eight-year-old Alli Glass was out on a late-night bullfrog hunt with her 83-year-old great-grandfather, Jesse Glass, when their four-wheeler crashed into a canal. “I saw that opening,” Jesse recalls, “I thought it was my four-wheeler trail. It was the canal.”
Trapped underwater beneath the four-wheeler, Jesse's life was in serious danger. But Alli didn’t hesitate, pulling her great-grandfather up enough for him to be able to breathe. Jesse says it was Alli’s quick thinking that saved his life. The heroic eight-year-old then ran over half a mile back to their house in her bare feet with her shoes in one hand and a flashlight in the other to get help for her great-granddad. “I just ran, ran to go get anyone,” she says.
In recognition of her bravery, Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb honored Alli with a badge and the title of honorary sheriff’s deputy. Despite the praise, Alli claims she didn’t do it for any recognition, saying, “I mean, if it’s family, you should always intervene – or friends, doesn’t matter.” And then she adds, “Why wouldn’t I save him?"