Caleb Wadman says his mother was shocked when she saw how close he had gotten to the flames.
Caleb Wadman became an overnight hero, thanks to a video that showed him saving a rabbit from the flames of the Southern California wildfires last week.
Now, the man who saved the rabbit is speaking out to Inside Edition.
Video from last week's daring rescue shows Wadman in a state of panic as he holds his head in grief while trying to get the frightened rabbit to safety.
"In the video that everybody sees, I was going crazy because she was screaming," he recalled.
He managed to scoop up the animal and bring it to safety.
Wadman's mom, Shari, was shocked when she saw her son so dangerously close to the flames.
"I started to cry actually — that was very kind of him, but then I saw how close he was to the fire," she said.
On Friday, a man named Oscar Gonzales came forward, claiming he was the one who had saved the rabbit, but Wadman insists he's the real deal.
During his interview with Inside Edition, Wadman was even wearing identical clothes to the man in the video, and his outline also features an identical profile to the rescuer.
The rabbit suffered burns to its ears and feet and Wadman has reunited with his new friend at the California Wildlife Center, where it is currently receiving treatment for its burns.
A veterinarian says that if not for Wadman, the story could have been tragic for the bunny.
“This rabbit needed to get medical attention,” Dr. Duane Tom, director of animal care at the California Wildlife Center, told Inside Edition.
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