An 18-year-old Portland woman is being hailed as a hero after saving a 9-month-old baby who remained alone while his family died during a severe storm. Majiah Washington came to the rescue after she looked through her window and saw the family in danger, the Associated Press reported. Washington noticed that the family was trying to put the baby in their SUV when the car was struck by a downed power line during the storm.
The father grabbed the child and tried to run to safety, but his foot touched the live wire as he slipped on the icy driveway. The six-month-pregnant mother also slipped and ended up being electrocuted as she reached for the baby. The mother’s 15-year-old brother rushed outside to help, but he was electrocuted as well.
Washington called 911 but realized that she must act quickly to save the baby. The 18-year-old, who told the story at a press conference on Jan. 18, said she grabbed the child and touched the father’s body as well, but she wasn’t shocked.
“I was concerned about the baby,” Washington told reporters. “Nobody was with the baby.”
Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman Rick Graves said the child is now doing fine.
“We do have fortunately with us a toddler that is going to be able to thrive and do what they possibly can as they move forward,” Graves said, per The Associated Press. “And they are here, in part, because of the heroic acts of a member of our community.”
Ronald Briggs, Washington’s neighbor, confirmed to the Associated Press that his 21-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son have died. Speaking to KGBW8, Briggs said his daughter Tajaliyah came to his house to use the internet on the day she died. Briggs said he heard a loud boom outside as his daughter and her boyfriend Nash were getting in the car with their child.
“We heard a loud boom. And my wife’s like, ‘Oh my god, their car is on fire,'” Briggs told KGW8.
The devastated father said he also told his 15-year-old son Ta’Ron Briggs to stay, but instead, he tried to go help his sister and died. Tajanae Briggs, the heartbroken sister of Ta’Ron and Tajaliyah, arranged a GoFundMe page for her family to cover the funeral expenses. The family also collected a trust fund for the 9-month-old baby.
“My siblings lost their lives when a power line fell on my sister’s car. My baby brother Ta’Ron tried to be the hero he was and save our sister and nephew, but unfortunately he couldn’t save them and lost his life,” Tajanae wrote on the GoFundMe page. “My sister tried to save her baby but couldn’t. We started out with 6 siblings, but now there are 4 of us. We are truly heart broken and are still in shock about losing them.”
At least 10 people in Oregon have died due to the weather in the past week, according to the Associated Press. Oregon declared a statewide emergency on Jan. 18.
