After a tragic incident in South Carolina, a 16-year-old girl is being hailed as a hero for saving her younger sister from their mother, who had drowned another sibling.

The courageous teen was awakened shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Friday by the distressing screams of her 8-year-old sister, originating from the bathroom of their residence on Saint Helena Island.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the girls’ mother, 37-year-old Jamie Bradley-Brun, had just committed the heinous act of drowning their 6-year-old sister and was now attempting to do the same to the 8-year-old. Acting swiftly, the 16-year-old intervened, freeing her sister from their mother’s grasp and swiftly escorting her to a nearby relative’s house to seek assistance.

Police responded to a report “that there was a woman who was trying to drown her child,” authorities said in a statement. Eight minutes later, they arrived to find Bradley-Brun with the young girl, who could not be revived. Deputies had to tase Bradley-Brun, who tried to grab one of their guns as she was arrested, Tanner said.

“Deputies conducted a sweep of the home and located 6-year-old Mackaya Bradley-Brun, who was deceased,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The early morning investigation revealed that Jamie Michele Bradley-Brun most likely drowned the 6-year-old. Following that Bradley-Brun then attempted to drown an 8-year-old child. A plea for help from the 8-year-old woke others in the home who were able to intervene and call 911 for help.”

Authorities said the teen’s actions were nothing short of heroic.

“I’m very proud of her,” Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said at a news conference. “I think she did an unbelievable job. She defended her family when no one else was available. Her courage is amazing.”

Bradley-Brun, facing charges of murder and attempted murder, was detained without the possibility of posting bail.

The responsibility of caring for the girls was assumed by other family members, as stated by Tanner.

Tanner refrained from disclosing the motive behind the tragic incident. It was noted that Bradley-Brun had no prior arrests in South Carolina, with authorities having been summoned to the house only once in the past two years, when a school staff member expressed concern regarding a child’s mental well-being.

“There is a lot more information that we have and a lot more details that we know but at this point we can’t share,” Tanner said, adding that he had no idea what could prompt someone to want to kill their children. “I’m not a mental health expert. It’s not my job to determine if someone has a mental health problem.”