Soddy-Daisy Teen Saves Family After Tree Falls on Them

The remains of the tents crushed by a tree in Soddy-Daisy on July 1. (Courtesy: Harvey Family)

SODDY-DAISY, Tenn. (WDEF)- A young man in Soddy-Daisy is being hailed as a hero.

Colton Harris, who is about to begin high school, was camping with his family on July first on Soddy Lake.

That afternoon, a severe thunderstorm rolled into the area, causing a tree to fall on his family’s tent.

Without hesitation, he went to work freeing his family, and learned his skills from an unexpected source.

Harris said, “I cut everyone out of the tent because the tree was covering the doors and stuff, and so when they got out of there, I carried my little sister to the car and told somebody to call 9-1-1… Me and my dad, we watched a lot of 9-1-1 movies and series like that, so I took all that I knew from that.”

All of the family were taken to the hospital after the storm, and all since have been released and are recovering from their injuries.

Colton says that one day he would like to be in the military, and knows experiences like this prepare him just for that.