Texas Man Heroically Saves His 6-Year-Old Neighbor From Pit Bull Attack

A Texas man has been credited with saving the life of his 6-year-old neighbor, rescuing the young lad from a pit bull attack, South Bend’s WNDU-TV reports.

Grant Brown, 19, lives just down the street from the family of Mason Lindeman in Conroe, Texas. On Sunday, Brown says, he heard Mason screaming. He ran to the scene to see what was going on, and he found Mason laying on the ground, a stray pit bull perched over him.

Brown says that, without thinking, he sprang into action.

“As soon as I noticed, I just ran over there without thinking, and I didn’t know how but I knew I had to get the dog off of the boy,” Brown said. He ran directly towards the pit bull, getting the animal’s attention in the process.

Brown’s quick thinking saved the day: the animal turned his attention to Brown, giving Mason the few seconds he needed in order to get away. Brown also fled, but he tripped and landed on the ground, long enough for the dog to try to get a piece of him.

Brown and the dog struggled for a few seconds — “I knew I had to keep its mouth away from me,” Brown said — before he was able to get on his feet and run to safety.

You can see video of the incident, taken from Lindeman’s front-porch security camera, below.

Be warned: this video contains footage that may be disturbing to some viewers. For those not interested in watching the video, it begins with the dog attacking the young boy. Brown can be seen running into the frame from a few houses away, before the dog focuses its attention on Brown, and Brown and the dog run off-screen.

For his efforts, Brown got a cut on the hand. Mason, meanwhile, escaped with only a cut on the back of his head, requiring some staples for the laceration. He also suffered some minor bruises to his face.

The owner of the animal was cited for allowing the animal to be loose. The dog was surrendered to Montgomery County Animal Control.

Mason’s mom, Jillian Lindermann, says that she’s at a loss for words on how to thank the young man who likely saved her son’s life.

“I just want to give the guy a hug. There’s nothing I can do but just say, ‘Thank you,'” she said.

Pit bulls, or bull terriers, are banned in several cities across the United States, according to DogsBite.org.