ANDREWS, S.C. —  Savannah Birt was walking home Saturday after playing outside when she heard cries for help.

She ran to the pond by her house and right away she saw her three-year-old neighbor, Kirsten Howard, splashing in the water, her head going under.

Not able to reach her or find anything long enough to pull her to shore, she jumped in the water, winter coat and all.

She brought the young girl — who was cold, scared and soaked through her layers of clothing, but breathing and alert — onto solid ground.

Then Savannah yelled for help.

A seventh grader at Rosemary Middle School in Andrews, Savannah said she was surprised the next day when her teacher Shannon Prosser called her a hero after hearing this story.

‘Am I a hero?’

Her mother, Christine Doyle, said when Savannah returned home from school, she was confused.

“Savannah said, ‘They called me a hero. Am I a hero?’”

Doyle, Savannah’s father Daniel Birt and her 9-year-old brother Hunter are very proud of what she did to save Kirsten’s life.

“She did a good job,” Doyle said. “It was amazing.”

Savannah was glad to learn later that night at the hospital that Kirsten was not hurt.

“The doctors said she’d be OK,” Savannah said.

She said she learned one lesson from this ordeal: “Never go near the pond.”

Doyle explained that the water in the pond was higher than usual that day because of the recent heavy rainfall.

And it was hard to see the drop off point.

She said Kirsten was washing her hands off at the pond when she slipped into the water.

Doyle said the pond will soon be filled, so nothing like this will ever happen again.

Kirsten’s mother, Daphne Graham, said Savannah is definitely a hero in her eyes, as well as Kirsten’s father Casey Howard and her 15-year-old brother Trent.

“We appreciate what Savannah did,” Graham said. “If it hadn’t been for her, we don’t know what we would have done. She is our hero.”

Proud teacher

Prosser, who contacted The Times about this story, said she couldn’t believe how brave Savannah had been.

“I thought she really needed to be recognized for this,” Prosser said. “She is an amazing young lady.”

She added that her class often talks about heroes and how they are courageous and brave.

“Savannah is always concerned about recycling and saving endangered species,” Prosser said. “Now she is not only concerned with saving animals, but people too.”

By Clayton Stairs

cstairs@gtowntimes.com