Julianna Fischer, 11, of Tyngsborough, Mass., is shown with her mother, Anna, and Kathleen Freeman, the mother of 5-year-old Jack Bissias. In August, Fischer saved Jack who had fallen into a well while playing in his front yard. Courtesy photo/Town of Tyngsborough

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. – Juliana Fischer recently received the town’s Young Hero Award for her quick action in rescuing her neighbor, 5-year-old Jack Bissias, who had fallen into a well.

While playing in his front yard on Aug. 15, Jack stepped on the well’s cover when it suddenly gave way. At 20 feet, the well was approximately as deep as a house is tall. However, Police Capt. Brad Biscornet said Jack was able to grab a pipe about halfway down.

Jack’s mother, Kathleen Freeman, said she had never heard such terrifying screams from her son.

Hearing Jack’s frantic cries for help, Fischer, 11, raced next door and called 911. As Jack was still clinging to the pipe, Fischer got a ladder and worked with Freeman to help the boy to safety.

When first responders arrived, Jack was out of the well and had not sustained any major injuries. He was taken to Lowell General Hospital as a precaution.

The well has since been covered with a heavy metal plate and cinder blocks.

A sixth grade student, Fischer had completed Student Awareness of Fire Education in October 2023. Established in 1995, the SAFE program provides local fire departments with funding to teach fire and life safety curriculum to school-age children.

During the Sept. 27 ceremony, State Rep. Colleen Gary (D-Dracut, Mass.) commended Fischer for her “instinct and matureness,” adding that many adults would have struggled to remain calm in such a situation.

“I’ve been a state rep. here now for 31 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a young woman so poised and so composed in an emergency,” said Gary.

Fischer was also honored with a proclamation from Select Board Member Eric Eldridge.

“We don’t do these all the time, this is really a big deal,” he said.