Kid goes full Young Link, saves sister from being abducted with his trusty slingshot

A kid goes full young Link and saves his sister from being abducted with his trusty slingshot.

Ah, The Legend of Zelda, a gaming series that continues to inspire generations ever since its inception on the NES way back in 1986. For nearly 40 years, Link and Princess Zelda have offered adventures like no other video game series has. However, that inspiration is meant for the world of video games and perhaps not for real life, well, mostly.

Case and point, as reported by our friends at UNILAD, 13-year-old boy Owen Burns saved his 8-year-old sister from being abducted in the woods. This ordeal must have been traumatising enough for the children and their parents, but if it wasn't for Owen, it could have been so much worse.

On 10 May 2023, the attempted abduction took place in Alpena Township, in northern Michigan. When hunting for mushrooms, Owen told Good Morning America that he heard nearby screams of his sister and rushed to where her sounds were coming from.

Owned explained that the attacker had a hold of his sister, but when she started to kick out, it gave her a moment to be free from the clutches of the attacker and thinking fast and armed with his slingshot, Owen pelted rocks and marble at the attacker, giving the children the chance to escape.

Owen then said that when the attacker was being struck, he cursed at the children before running away. The brother and sister then called their mother to pick them up and take them to safety.

Thankfully the suspected 17-year-old attacker was caught by police at a nearby petrol station, before confessing to the crime. The attacker is currently being held in a juvenile section of a prison facing charges of assault and battery, one count of attempted assault to do bodily harm and one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement.

Lieutenant John Grimshaw who was involved in the arrest of the attacker said: “What he [Owen] did helped us identify who the suspect was because obviously he had injuries from getting hit with a slingshot. To see that and to pop into action that quickly is extraordinary and he should be commended for it.”

Hopefully, both children will get the aftercare and support that they need so that they can learn to cope with this trauma. Finally, well done to Owen and his sister, you truly are a pair of real-life heroes worthy of Hyrule.