6-Year-Old Boy Tries To Save Grandfather Trapped In Sauna Fire, Both Dead

A six-year-old died from burns while trying to save his grandfather from a sauna fire at their home in Karelia region of western Russia. His effort caught the attention of the Russian government, which posthumously honoured him with a medal for courage.

According to reports, Slava Yushkov’s grandfather fell onto the furnace of the sauna that was located in the garden on Aug.29. Upon noticing the fire, the boy rushed to the sauna and attempted to pull his grandfather from the blaze. Unable to drag to him to safety, the boy retreated away from the sauna and screamed for his mother. The mother, 30-year-old Yulia Zakharkina, who was cooking inside the home, rushed outside but was unable to put the fire out due to its severity.

While the grandfather perished in the fire, the boy was rushed to a hospital in a “very grave condition” with over 90 percent burns to his body. He was put into a medically-induced coma but he succumbed to the injuries on Sept.9. His funeral was held on Sept. 13.

Taking about the boy’s courage, a neighbor of the family said, "He showed incredible bravery. Instead of running away he desperately tried to pull his burning grandpa from the flames, suffering dreadful burns in the process."

Meanwhile, Yushkov was posthumously awarded the Russian state's Medal for Courage.

“The feat and worthy deed of little Svyatoslav will forever remain in our memory and become a worthy example for the younger generation,” the citation read.

The incident comes days after a grandfather in Endeavour Hills, Australia, died while rescuing his granddaughter from their burning home. Gary Van Bree , 71, lived with his daughter and his grandchildren. On noticing smoke, Bree got out of the burning home along with his daughter and grandson. On realizing that his granddaughter was nowhere to be found, Bree ran into the home and made sure that his granddaughter got out. He, however, died in the process.