Last month, Hurricane “Helene” devastated a large area in the southeastern United States, with the powerful storm causing floods and mudslides that resulted in the deaths of more than two hundred people. Amidst the chaos, an 11-year-old boy in North Carolina was tragically buried in a mudslide, but it was at this critical moment that his pet dog displayed extraordinary adaptability and unwavering loyalty, ultimately saving his life.
According to various media reports, during the onslaught of Hurricane “Helene” in North Carolina, 11-year-old Jamie Parker, along with his sister Jemma and their beloved dog Tucker, were staying at their grandmother’s house not far from Ashville.
Unexpectedly, a sudden mudslide rushed towards their residence, completely engulfing their home as it was instantly washed away, leaving Jamie buried under approximately 12 feet (about 3.6 meters) of rubble.
Recalling the terrifying ordeal in an interview with WCNC television station, Jamie said that he and his sister were sitting on the couch at the time. “Then suddenly the house was engulfed by a rolling mudslide, I hit the wall face-down, feeling like I was lifted up in the air.”
“The situation at the time was simply too frightening, I thought my family was all dead, leaving only me. I was trapped under the rubble, desperately calling for help but no one responded. However, I knew Tucker was right above me, I could hear him howling incessantly. I placed all my hope of being rescued in Tucker.”
Fortunately, Jamie’s grandparents made it safely through the disaster, and they quickly found their granddaughter Jemma amidst the chaos, but Jamie was nowhere to be found. They noticed Tucker standing motionless in one spot.
“It stood atop the rubble where Jamie was buried, barking wildly, I initially thought it was frightened,” Jamie’s grandfather Michael Johns recalled, “I never expected it to sniff out the location of its little master right away.”
Sure enough, guided by Tucker, the firefighters who rushed to rescue soon located Jamie and managed to extract him from the rubble using a saw. Due to the traumatic ordeal, Jamie was promptly rushed to the Atrium Health Cabarrus hospital in Concord for treatment.
Now recovered, Jamie is immensely grateful to his dog for saving his life. He told WCNC, “If it wasn’t for Tucker, I might have died.”
Jamie explained that Tucker was adopted by him and his sister a few years ago using saved pocket money from a shelter, where it was the last dog facing euthanasia.
“When we arrived at the shelter, it was as if it knew we were going to take it home, as soon as it saw us, it ran over to us,” Jamie said, “and this time, it saved me.”
This disaster left Jamie’s family with almost nothing, but thankfully everyone is safe. They are deeply thankful to the nurses at Atrium Health Cabarrus hospital, who generously purchased essential items for them. Additionally, local authorities have launched fundraising efforts to assist them in rebuilding their home.