Girl fell down well before mother could tell her not to jump

CARROLLTON - A fire chief who rescued a girl who fell into a well said Wednesday that he is not a hero. <br> <br> ``The hero is standing by her mother,&#39;&#39; Greg Washington said, referring to 8-year-old Jasmine Kierbow. ``She&#39;s the hero, her and the neighbors who threw down a garden hose to her.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Jasmine clung to the hose 36 feet down until other Carroll County rescuers could lower Washington down on a harness to get her Tuesday night. The whole ordeal lasted about half an hour. <br> <br> The girl, her mother, April Kierbow, grandfather and neighbors were in the Kierbow yard as the adults were pouring a slab of cement. Jasmine ran back and forth to a capped abandoned well and jumped on the cover. <br> <br> ``She jumped a second time and then was running to jump again and before we could tell her not to, she jumped and down she went,&#39;&#39; Kierbow said. <br> <br> Jasmine was clinging to the hose and had braced herself against one side of the well by pushing her leg on the opposite wall when Washington got to her. He was knee-deep in the well water. <br> <br> ``I got my arms up under hers,&#39;&#39; he said. ``I got her to sit on my bent leg. She was still holding on to that hose so it took some doing to get her to turn loose. But she grabbed my neck and they pulled us up.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The girl was treated for a broken right collarbone and a small cut in the back of her head. <br> <br> Jasmine said she was not scared because her grandfather assured her help was on the way. ``I didn&#39;t say much to him (Washington),&#39;&#39; she said. ``It was just a friendly conversation.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The thin-framed Washington did tell her his name was ``Shoestring,&#39;&#39; which she relayed to her mother at the hospital. <br> <br> ``She told me, `I think that is just a nickname, Mama,&#39;&#39;&#39; Kierbow said.