TWEED, CANADA — A heroic Ontario man threw himself into runaway horses to rescue a little girl from getting trampled.
The horrific accident occurred on July 9 at the annual Tweed Fair in Ontario, when a team of horses broke loose from the horse-pulling competition, CBC reported.
Stein, the owner of a cash-cropping business, told CBC in a radio interview that his extensive amount of experience with horses enabled him to react quickly, as he ran over to the galloping horses and tried to catch them.
When Stein saw the horses going straight in a little girl’s direction, he had no time to hesitate. He grabbed the girl quickly and threw her out of the way to avoid the horses running over her. In the end, Stein was trampled by the galloping horses.
Stein was tended to by two female friends to make sure he was conscious and well before members of the emergency services arrives.
Asked if he saw himself as a hero, Stein told CBC: “I'm not a hero. The real heroes are the men and women in our Canadian Forces, the men and women of our police forces, and the men and women of our emergency services.”
The little girl whom Stein saved only sustained minor injuries but was otherwise unhurt, according to CBC. The girl’s family contacted Stein and wished him well, and they plan on meeting him soon.
