By CatholicVote | Created at 2024-10-19 09:48:07 | Updated at 2024-10-24 02:28:11
4 days ago
CV NEWS FEED // An 11-year-old boy in North Carolina is crediting his dog, Tucker, for saving his life after he was trapped during a mudslide caused by Hurricane Helene.
Jamie Parker was thrown into a 12-foot pile of rubble after the mudslide hit his house, leaving him buried beneath the stairs. Tucker, a dog the family had rescued from a shelter, refused to leave Jamie’s side and barked persistently until help arrived. “I probably would have died if it wasn’t for Tucker,” Jamie said, explaining how his dog’s barking alerted others to his location when he couldn’t be heard.
Jamie’s grandparents, Michael and Donna Johns, were at home with Jamie and his sister, Jemma, when the mudslide occurred. Donna described the terrifying moment when the house shifted and walls started collapsing. Jamie was thrown into the debris, while Donna was tossed onto the roof.
“It felt like forever down there. I couldn’t see sunlight,” Jamie said. “I could feel water dripping on me, and I thought I was either gonna drown or run out of air.”
Amid the chaos, Michael Johns was able to locate Jemma but struggled to find Jamie. Tucker’s persistence, however, led rescuers directly to Jamie. Michael initially thought the dog was just barking erratically, not realizing Tucker had found Jamie.
“He stayed on top of the pile and was barking away … I didn’t realize he had located the boy!” Michael said.
Tucker remained with Jamie until firefighters arrived and used a chainsaw to free him.
The experience left Jamie with trauma, and he was flown to Atrium Health Cabarrus Hospital in Concord for treatment. A nurse at the hospital is currently fostering Tucker. The family, who lost their home and belongings, is receiving assistance from Habitat for Humanity, which has started a fundraiser for them.
The family said Jamie and Jemma used their allowance to adopt their dog from the shelter years ago.
“He was the last dog there. When he saw us he ran right up to us,” Jamie recalled. “And he rescued me.”
