RESIDENTS of the Ackee Walk community in St Andrew yesterday chanted “Save a life” as Orlando Brown walked up the street. Brown, who yesterday was seen as the community’s hero after rescuing a 12-year-old boy from raging flood waters in the Sandy Gully in St Andrew, told the Jamaica Observer of his experience.

The boy, who according to residents was washed away by the flood waters from Mannings Hill Road, could be heard screaming as the water dragged him along.

“I was inside a house and I hear some screaming, so when I look round I see him (the boy) washing away. So I run go down the road here and I was standing at a bridge and I was watching him,” Brown told the Sunday Observer.

“Mi see him lick up him head, water a lick him go deh so, him lick go so and mi a seh ‘father God, mi have two youth still’, an mi a look inna miself an seh a coulda youth or anything still,” he continued.

He said upon the request of residents for something to be done, he decided to try to save the boy, whose cries for help softened his heart.

“So one car come stop deh and three a we go in deh… and it let we off round a Queensborough side,” Brown recalled. “We run go down deh and go cross a coal iron and is like mi go deh and mi a look pon di water wave, and some man a say ‘don’t go down deh, you a go wash weh, you a go lick yuh head’,” he continued.

Despite the advice for him to avoid the water, and the shouts of doubt, Brown said he was determined to help the child, who by this time drifted to the middle of the gully and was holding onto an object. Brown said he then tested the water to determine whether it was manageable.

“So mi jump off inna di gully, mi just plant mi foot now and mi walk go cross fi him now, and mi go deh and mi a try lift him up and him a seh him cyaan feel him foot them. Mi go so, and mi lif him up now and walk come cross wid him and somebody come help mi when mi push him out,” the 25-year-old Brown told the Sunday Observer.

His grandfather, Donald Brown, was proud of his grandson, but most importantly was happy a life was saved.

“Yea man, proud fi know seh all a life save. Cause when mi see it an see seh me cyaan go in deh so, you know seh me glad seh the younger one can go in and save him,” he said.

“A risk him risk fi him life too, enuh,” he said of his grandson, “cause everybody stand up deh an a say dem nah go in deh, nah chance it.”

He said it was truly God who gave his grandson the willpower to do what he did.

“The water high, mi a tell yuh, and the man jump off and save the little youth. A real life hero an we haffi congratulate the youth,” Dondre Maxwell said as he lauded the action of his community member.

The rescued boy was rushed to hospital by the police who were summoned by a passerby.

The Sunday Observer was unable to determine which hospital he was taken to and his condition.