Brave Oklahoma Boy Saves Family After Boat Explodes

A brave Oklahoma boy saved his two cousins and suffered multiple burns when the boat they were on exploded.

Bentley Mehringer, 6, said something did not smell right within minutes of being on a family boat at Lake LBJ in Kingsland, Texas, KSWO reported.

“I smelled fire, I mean gas, and then I went up to check and then there was a big explosion,” said Bentley.

A few family members and their dog were sent flying into the air. Bentley and two of his younger cousins were toward the bottom of the boat when the back end exploded, leaving Bentley with second-degree burns all over his body.

“I was just terrified,” said Bentley’s mother, Breanna Sullivan.

At first, she was not sure where her son was, thinking he had already been lost.

She later learned her son was a hero for helping his cousins escape first, before getting himself out of the boat.

Bentley is recovering from second-degree burns at children’s hospital in Austin, Texas.

“His face is second-degree mostly, he has burns down his shins that are second-degree and on the tops of his feet and he has where his t-shirt stops, he has second-degree burns down his arms. His left forearm is where they were watching for third-degree it’s a little deeper than the rest of them,” said Sullivan.

Due to the coronavirus, the hospital is restricting in-person visits from friends and family while he is recovering, but they are allowing video chat visits.

For those who wish to help Bentley’s family out with their medical expenses, visit the Coaches Corner LLC Facebook page. The organization is selling T-shirts and koozies online to offset the family’s medical bills.