4-year-old boy walks 8km in the snow to find someone to save his grandmother

While most preschoolers find it difficult to get to school by themselves, a little girl in Siberia walked 8 km in the cold snow in sub-zero temperatures to find someone to save her grandmother.

Last month, 4-year-old Saglana Salchak from the Tuva Republic (Russia) did just that to find someone to save her immobile grandmother. Her heroic act touched the hearts of many people around the world.

The Siberian Times reported that Saglana’s journey began when her grandfather asked her if she could help her 60-year-old grandmother when he noticed her becoming unresponsive. The grandfather was blind and did not know that it was 5 a.m. and very dark.

The only thing she had were matches she had brought with her in case she needed to light a fire, and she followed the tracks of a horse-drawn cart that she knew would lead to her neighbor's house 8km away. Part of the way was over a glacier.

Little Saglana Salchak walked 8km in the snow to find someone to save her grandmother. (Photo: Siberian Times)

“It was cold and I was hungry,” Saglana later recalled. “But I wasn’t afraid. I just kept walking, walking, walking. And finally I got there.”

But sadly, medical staff later discovered that the baby's grandmother had died of a heart attack.

Saglana’s story quickly went viral online and touched the hearts of many. One parent commented on freerangekids.com: “This 4-year-old is amazing. My kids don’t even dare walk to the neighbor’s house alone.” Another Twitter user commented: “Hats off to the bravest girl in Siberia!”

The Tuvans are an ethnic minority living in southern Siberia. As nomadic herders, Tuvan children are better prepared for emergencies than city kids. They learn to ride horses from a young age and can walk farther than the average person. However, many people who know about Saglana’s story still worry about her when they imagine her journey.

The child's story also raises concerns about parental care and poor communication in the area where the child lives.

Saglana's mother and stepfather live in another region, and the Tuva Investigative Committee has filed a lawsuit against the mother for leaving her child in a dangerous place.

“She knew that older people lacked the capacity to take safety measures for young children,” the commission said in a press release. “If found guilty, the mother could face up to a year in prison.” The commission also said it was investigating the actions of social policy workers in the area where the girl lived.

Journalist and social activist Sayana Mongush said she was shocked to learn that Salchak's grandparents did not have a phone or internet connection.

According to Dantri