Teenager saves the day after rescuing 7-year-old from dust devil: 'I was worried about his safety'

Aidan Wiles was the umpire of the game at the Fort Caroline Athletic Association baseball field in Florida. This day, he noticed something that needed his attention, within the tiny time span of 7 seconds, 7-year-old Bauer Zoya was caught up in the dust devil. "I've never seen anything like that my whole entire life, on or off the field," Wiles told First Coast News. Wiles told CBS affiliate WJAX-TV that quickly ran to help as he saw the little boy struggle with storming winds. "I knew his little body couldn't handle it, so I just rushed in and got him," the Sandalwood High School junior told the outlet. Added Zoya, “I couldn’t breathe that much,” Zoya said. “So I held my breath and I feel like I couldn’t touch the ground. So I kind of lifted up a little bit.” “I was worried about his safety because when I got taught, the players’ safety is always the first thing,” Wiles said, as per PEOPLE.

In the footage of this incident, we see Wiles coming to the rescue of Zoya and ensuring his safety as the dust devil affected the home plate. As per the National Weather Service, dust devils are seen "under clear skies and light winds, when the ground can warm the air to temperatures well above the temperatures just above the ground." These are less intense than tornadoes but "typically last only a few minutes before dissipating," they "can still be destructive as they lift dust and other debris into the air," per the NWS.

For Zoya, this dust devil only lasted for 7 seconds, and then he felt pulled away by something and he thought it was the wind but it was Wiles, the 17-year-old umpire. Zoya's father also came to help his son as he poured water on him and soon, he was able to get back to the game. Zoya said, “At first, I was scared, but I just told myself to think of happy thoughts. Then I thought the twister got me, but it was Aidan, and I could breathe again.” "Next time I see him, I just want to say thank you," he said. As for Zoya's dad, Brian Zoya, he also had praises for Wiles, “A kid that just had the presence in mind to just do that it’s just special to see,” Brian said. “It was pretty cool to see yesterday. He had great parents raising him.”

Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh, looked at the video and gave his comments on it. “The winds are probably, maybe 30-40 miles per hour right in the middle of that dust devil. For a 7-year-old, you’re definitely thinking, ‘Wow, what’s happening here?’” Buresh said. The video of Wiles saving Zoya is going viral on social media and is being discussed by several local and national media outlets. People are praising Wiles for his heroic act and for this reason, Wiles act shows that not all heroes wear capes and it just takes some courage and consideration to save the day and even save a life.