11-Year-Old Girl Hailed As Hero After Saving Boy Who Fell Into Well

August 20, 2025

Today's good news story comes from Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.

An 11-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero after she rushed to the aid of a 5-year-old boy who fell into a wall across the street from her house.

Juliana Fischer (right) / Credit: 7News Boston

On August 15, 5-year-old Jack Buss was playing outside when the cover of a water well gave way beneath him. He fell nearly 20 feet, landing on a small concrete ledge inside while clinging to a pole. His mother, Kathleen Freeman, heard a noise and then a scream she said she had never heard from her son before. Looking down, she realized her little boy was trapped underground.

Desperate, Freeman screamed for help — and that’s when 11-year-old Juliana Fischer came running.

"I heard these screams, like these screams, and someone saying, 'Call 911,'" Fischer recalled. She quickly dialed for help but didn’t stop there. Spotting a ladder nearby, she thought fast.

Without hesitation, Fischer dragged the ladder to the well and lowered it down with the help of her father and Freeman. Jack climbed up to safety, escaping with only a few scratches and bruises.

Freeman called her son “really brave,” but she couldn’t stop praising Juliana’s courage.

"She just went and grabbed the ladder herself, put it in the well, and we held it with her father," Freeman said.

First responders arrived shortly after and took Jack to the hospital. He was soon cleared and is now doing well. Authorities have since secured the well with a heavy metal plate and cinder blocks until a permanent fix can be made.

Though the Buss family insists Juliana is a hero, she humbly brushed off the title: "I don't know. Anyone would have done the same thing."