A heroic nine-year-old boy managed to escape a wrecked truck and rescue his parents when tornadoes hit Oklahoma over the weekend.
At least twenty-two tornadoes are known to have touched down in Oklahoma over the weekend, killing at least four people and injuring dozens.
Wayne and Lindy Baker, along with their son Branson, were driving to a friend’s storm shelter Saturday when an EF4 tornado picked up their truck and threw it into the trees, KTVT reported.
The parents were seriously injured, but brave Branson was able to climb out of the wrecked vehicle and frantically run for help in the darkness, with only lightning to guide his path.
‘The only way to find your way back is by lightning. Every time lightning struck, it lit the way. He ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could,” the boy’s uncle, Johnny Baker, told the local news station.
Branson Baker (pictured), 9, escaped from a wrecked truck and rescued his parents when tornadoes hit Oklahoma over the weekend.
Wayne and Lindy Baker were driving to a friend’s storm shelter Saturday with their son when an EF4 tornado picked up their truck and threw it into the trees.
The parents were seriously injured, but Branson was able to get out of the wrecked vehicle and ran for help.
“He probably did a mile in 10 minutes, and that’s pretty impressive for a little kid.”
The nine-year-old boy arrived at a neighbor’s house and took him there to rescue his parents.
Wayne and Lindy, who suffered fractures to their back, neck and ribs, are recovering in the intensive care unit at OU Medical Center.
Wayne lost part of a finger and broke his sternum and arm. Lindy has a punctured lung and broke her jaw and right hand.
“The last thing Branson said to them was, ‘Mom, Dad, please don’t die. “I’ll be back,” the uncle said.
‘(Branson said) “My Superman was trapped,”‘ according to his uncle. ‘So, he had to become his Superman and go do what he had to do. That’s exactly what he said: “I had to save my parents.”
TO GoFundMe created for the family said: ‘Branson is small, but he is so powerful that he is a hero. You think all the time that kids are destined to do great things, but Branson has already started to achieve greatness from him.’
According to the National Weather Service, the EF4 tornado in which the Bakers were caught was the first of that intensity in the state since 2016.
Oklahoma was one of the most affected states along with Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas during the storms.
Wayne and Lindy (pictured), who suffered fractures to their back, neck and ribs, are recovering in the intensive care unit at OU Medical Center.
In total, four people in the state died, including a baby, sixty-two people suffered cuts or punctures, seventy-seven were injured after a fall, seven suffered injuries from poisoning, fifty-nine were hit by or against something, and fifty and six were road injuries, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference in Sulfur on Sunday, “You can’t believe the destruction.” It seems that all the downtown businesses have been destroyed.
Stitt also issued a statement Sunday morning: ‘My prayers are with those who lost loved ones when the tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma last night.
“Thank you to Oklahoma Emergency Management and those who worked through the night to keep Oklahomans safe and worked to clear debris and assess damage.”
Stitt has also declared a state of emergency in 12 counties as crews work to remove debris and assess damage caused by the severe storms that downed power lines.