An 11-year-old girl died Saturday night in Spalding County, Georgia, trying to save her dog from a house fire, her uncle said.
11-year-old Katelynn Simonds reportedly ran back into the burning house to save her puppy, Little Man. Sadly, Simonds and her dog didn’t make it out of the house and died, Fox 5 reported. When first responders arrived, the house was already engulfed in flames, according to Spalding County firefighters who spoke to the outlet.
UPDATE: Girl, 11, dies trying to save dog in Spalding house fire, family says https://t.co/hfX6zwjjmj
— Atlanta Journal-Constitution (@ajc) April 8, 2024
Simonds’ uncle, Charles Beecher, spoke with Fox 5 following the tragic incident.
“She was worried about her dog upstairs, and she ran upstairs,” he said. “Katelynn, she’s like us, an animal lover. She went upstairs and got that puppy. His name was ‘Little Man.’” (RELATED: ‘It’s Way Too Hot’: Video Shows Police Desperately Trying To Rescue 11-Year-Old From Raging Fire)
“She was a joy of life. She was a cheerleader. She was into everything. I mean, it’s heartbreaking. It’s hard,” Beecher said.
One firefighter was sent to the hospital for treatment and all others on the scene were offered counseling services to help deal with the tragedy, according to Fox 5.
“We go in, everyone, with that attitude. We’re going to do everything we can, within [what’s] humanly possible, to try to make a difference,” Chief of Operations Mike Byrd told Fox 5. “And these stories [are] just very tragic for us.”
Family members created a memorial outside of the home in remembrance of Katelynn, and a GoFundMe was set up.
“The Rollins family have been blindsided by the loss of their home and of their beautiful 11 year old daughter Katelynn. Any money secured will be used for housing, clothing and laying sweet Katelynn to rest,” the GoFundMe page reads.