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Eight-year-old boy 'hero' saves six from fire

Fourth grader Tyler Doohan helped rescue six people from a New York mobile home after fire broke out. But Tyler Doohan died trying to save his grandfather. An online fund has been set up to pay for his funeral.

  • By Staff Associated Press

| Penfield, N.Y.

An online fundraising campaign has raised enough money to pay for the funeral of an 8-year-old New York boy who died while trying to rescue his disabled grandfather from a burning mobile home.

Tyler Doohan managed to rouse six people from sleep and get them out of the house, according to Monroe County Sheriff's deputies

The page set up on YouCaring.com for Tyler Doohan says more than $12,000 has been raised as of Wednesday morning.

Authorities in the town of Penfield, just east of Rochester, say the boy alerted relatives to the fire early Monday morning inside his grandfather's trailer home, and that six of them escaped.

They say the boy died while trying to rescue his grandfather, who used a wheelchair and crutches after losing a leg.

Fire officials say Tyler's body was found just a few feet from his 57-year-old grandfather. A 54-year-old uncle also died.

Cpl. John Helfer of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said nine people were in the single-wide trailer in the town of Penfield when the fire started around 4:45 a.m. Monday.

The dead were identified as 57-year-old Louis Beach, the homeowner; 54-year-old Steven Smith, and 8-year-old Tyler Doohan of East Rochester.  Helfer said four adults and two children, ages 4 and 6, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Richard Stutzman, Jr., Interim Superintendent told WHEC-TV in Rochester: “Tyler was a very caring young man, always had a smile on his face.” Actually I just got an email from one of our staff members, who when they heard Tyler had gone back in, or continued to help his grandfather get out of the burning building, they were not surprised at all. That's the type of young man he was, and in my heart and the heart of East Rochester, he's a true hero.”

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