Eight-year-old Tierney Butt was playing near a river in Perth and a boy was splashing around in the water. Suddenly he began to dive into the water and call out for help. No adults were around. Tierney could not swim, but she rushed to help.
She entered the water and was able to hold the boy’s head above the surface until passers-by came to the rescue and pulled them both to shore. Kerry, the 12-year-old boy’s mother, later said the depth was shallow, but the underwater current made it impossible for him to stand on the bottom. Had it not been for the girl, her son would have drowned. “Tierney, a small child, was able to do something that no adult would have been able to do. The girl was incredibly brave, calm and just amazing,” Kerry said.
Tierney’s father said he was impressed with his daughter’s quick reaction. “She can’t swim either. I think the adrenaline helped her in this situation. I’m proud of my daughter,” he added.
Kerry wrote a message of thanks on Facebook and sent it to the girl’s parents.
