Today’s positive news story is from Cleveland, Ohio.

A courageous 16-year-old saved a mother and her children from a dangerous house fire.

Credit: Ashley Caraballo / 19 News

Tyler Sowden was at home when he heard panicked screams from his neighbor’s house. Without any delay, he acted quickly.

“I was in my house,” Sowden recalled. “I heard screaming. I saw the kid on top of the roof. The house was on fire, so I grabbed a ladder, ran over, put it up, grabbed the four kids, and helped the mom down the ladder.”

At the time of the fire, the home was occupied by a mother and her three children—a 10-month-old baby, a 7-year-old, and a 12-year-old. Authorities state that Sowden managed to save the mother and the two youngest children, while the 12-year-old was able to escape by jumping from the back porch.

When asked about how he reacted to the fire, Sowden admitted that he didn’t hesitate before taking action.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking,” he said. “I just took the ladder and ran.”

Lieutenant Mike Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department praised the teen for his bravery.

“It’s amazing,” Norman said. “He saved their lives. He was heroic this morning. I give him a lot of credit—for reacting, thinking ahead, bringing the ladder. He brought the right ladder to the scene and helped that woman and her children down. He saved three lives today.”

Sowden’s stepfather, who was away at the time, expressed tremendous pride in his actions.

“He just jumped into action, no questions asked, risking his life to save the others,” he told 19 News.

Watch the video below.