Coral Harbour (Feb 19/03) - Coral Harbour wrestler Joe Shimout is wearing a title of a different type these days.

Shimout, 18, has earned a hero's crown after risking his life to save a young boy this past week.

Joe Shimout: Coral Harbour teen ran into burning building to rescue four-year-old Emerson Bruce on Feb. 11. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Fire broke out at the residence of Gabriel and Daisy Bruce during the morning hours of Feb. 11.

The couple had managed to make it outside the dwelling before the mother realized their young son was not with them.

She thought the boy had left the house earlier that morning.

When she couldn't find her son, Emerson, she burst into the Shimout home to get help.

Shimout quickly ran to the neighbour's home and entered the building to look for the four-year-old.

"It was really, really smoky in there," says Shimout. "It hurt the eyes and made it hard to breathe."

"I honestly wasn't afraid though. I kept thinking I had to find that boy."

After checking the living room, Shimout started searching the three bedrooms while constantly calling out Emerson's name.

"About 30 seconds later, I heard him crying and found him in his room very afraid.

"I could see he needed fresh air very quickly, so I got him out of the house as fast as I could."

Shimout was met outside by a tearful and overjoyed mother.

The fire began when the family ran out of furnace oil and were trying to use their stove's oven to keep warm.

A garbage bag was too close to the oven and caught fire from the heat.

Both Shimout and Emerson received oxygen after being taken to the nursing station.

Shimout had the oxygen mask on for more than an hour before he could leave.

"There were many of Emerson's family members at the nursing station to make sure he was all right.

"They all shook my hand, hugged me and thanked me for saving Emerson.

"Saving Emerson feels good, but I think anybody would have done the same thing in that situation.

"You know it's dangerous, but you're not really scared because you're focused on saving the child.

"I had to go to Rankin for my wrestling match on the weekend, but I was glad when I heard Emerson was OK."