Boy, 11, saves grandfather from burning SUV

Eleven year old Eli Jenkins, of Butler County, says his favorite activity is "going to town with PaPa" and "picking up a few things." Eli's PaPa is Wayne Jenkins, 87, a partial amputee from Poplar Bluff, who is wheelchair-bound due to an accident decades ago.

On a recent Saturday, an ordinary family shopping trip of "picking up a few things" turned extraordinary.

Eli and his family, PaPa, GeeGee, Wayne's wife and Eli's grandmother, Gail, and his aunt, Gloria, who is learning disabled, headed out to attend the grand reopening of the Orscheln store in Poplar Bluff.

The family had just pulled into a parking space at the store and began to exit their large SUV when Eli's aunt saw a flame spark near the hydraulic box of the wheelchair lift attached to the back of the vehicle. Eli says his aunt attempted to "stomp the fire out" but was unable to get it under control. His grandmother contacted the fire department and bystanders rushed to aid the family by disconnecting the wire mechanisms on the lift and helping control the fire until emergency workers could arrive.

With his grandmother and aunt safely away from the vehicle Eli rushed into the store to secure a motorized wheel chair to help PaPa out of the smoldering truck. The fire quickly reignited under the truck, spreading to the hood. Flames could be seen emitting once again from the vehicle when the young boy heard a familiar voice scream out, "Get me out of here!"

Eli remained focused and steady as he made his way with the motorized cart to rescue his grandfather. Eli's body weight was insufficient to power the cart, giving the boy no choice but to physically drag the heavy equipment from the store to his destination. Witnesses on the scene noted how remarkable it was the boy was able to pick up such a heavy object. Eli succeeded in getting the cart to the burning vehicle and was able to help his grandfather safely out of the truck.

Firefighters and emergency personnel arrived shortly on the scene to extinguish the fire and assess any injuries. Eli happily reports "no injuries for anyone" in his family resulted from the situation.

The East Carter R-II sixth grader loves nothing better than spending time with his grandfather on the 200 acre farm they share and making frequent runs to the duo's favorite local restaurant for a bite to eat. Eli's mother, Vanessa, said her son always "puts PaPa first before anything else."

The proud mom says Eli does more than his fair share on the farm to help the family, "more than a grown man," Vanessa beamed. At the tender age of 11, Eli has already mastered operating farm equipment and working the livestock. "Diggin' with the backhoe is my favorite," Eli said with a grin.

When asked about his bravery on Aug. 17, Eli humbly looked at the floor and said, "my mind was on only one thing...to get them (my family) safe from the vehicle."

The young boy wants to let other children know there are lessons to be learned in every situation, good or bad. He encourages fellow youngsters to "treat others like they want to be treated" and to "be kind to their grandparents 'cause you never know when something might happen."