Heroic 9-year-old boy saves life of drowning toddler

Authorities hailed a 9-year-old Florida boy a hero after he saved a 3-year-old child from drowning.

Surveillance video captured last weekend in Tallahassee shows a toddler wandering into deep water in an apartment complex pool, according to WRIC.

He soon starts to struggle, flailing underwater.

The toddler stays underwater for a couple minutes before the 9-year-old notices him and dives underwater to pull him up. He takes the toddler to an adult, who then pulls the little boy out of the pool.

According to Leon County Sheriff's Deputies, the 9-year-old's mother, Severia Heard, is a nurse. She began CPR on the toddler until EMS arrived. After a few minutes, his breathing improved and he started to cry.

The toddler was taken to Tallahassee Memorial's emergency room in serious condition but is expected to be fine.

Heard stressed to the Tallahassee Democrat that her son is the real hero.

"He doesn't get as much praise as he should. He's been known to be a troubled young man, but I'm telling him he is an awesome kid no matter what anyone tells him," Heard told the news outlet. "He has so many great attributes, and he really cares."