The Prince George's County Fire Department will be awarding Thomas Johnson Middle School student, Taji Lee for a dramatic rescue which saw the boy carry his mother "fireman style" out of their blazing home.
It all began on Thursday, Nov. 29 when fire and rescue teams responded to a reported house fire in the 6300 block of Naval Avenue in Lanham. Firefighters en route to the scene were preparing to rescue a person reported to be trapped inside.
But when they arrived, they found that 13-year-old Taji Lee had already done all the rescuing which would be needed that night. Before firefighters had arrived on the scene, Taji had alerted a neighbor to the fire and asked them to call 911. Then Taji ran back home and carried his mother, Karen Lee, out of the home, fireman style.
"He pulled her up from the ground and put her over his shoulder and carried her out," said Mark Brady, public information officer for the Prince George's County Fire Department.
Taji's mother suffers limited mobility as a result of multiple sclerosis. Brady said that Taji's actions likely saved his mother from potentially fatal injuries.
Taji's sister also made it out of the blaze safely. The fire severely damaged the house, and the family was forced to move in with a relative while their housing situation is resolved.
This Friday, in a ceremony at his middle school, Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc Bashoor will present Taji with the county Fire Chief's Award for his heroic actions.
