Dog saves drowning toddler

June 26, 2012|WSBT-TV and WOOD-TV Report

MARCELLUS, Mich. – Cass County police say a 4-year-old Labrador Retriever saved a drowning family member -- a 14-month-old boy -- by keeping the child above water until mom could come help.

Patricia Drauch says her son Stanley was walking with her in the yard Sunday and then disappeared.

After searching everywhere, she saw the toddler in the pool.

At first, Drauch thought her son was floating, but then noticed he was on their dog Bear's back. The family thinks Bear was keeping very still to make sure Stanley didn't go under the water.

“He didn't bark. He didn't move. It was like he was afraid to move at all until I got Stanley up out of the pool, and that's when he came up out of the pool with me," said Drauch.

"Bear was trying to keep Stanley up so he wouldn't die," said brother Kyle Drauch.

Drauch says Stanley's lips were blue when she got him out of the water and rushed with him to a nearby fire station.

The county undersheriff says based on the toddler's vomit in the car, which happens when water is ingested then expelled, it appears Bear really did save his life.

The following news release from Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. was issued on Monday afternoon:

On 6/24 at 3:51 p.m. deputies responded to the Marcellus Fire Department upon receiving a 911 call from 30-year-old Patricia Drauch of Maple Street. Patricia advised deputies that, while at her residence, she had gone to the garage to get a shovel with her 14-month-old son, Stanley Drauch, following behind her. After getting to the garage, she discovered that he was no longer following her.

She indicated that she began to look for him, and found Stanley in the family pool face up in the water, and that he appeared to be blue. She also indicted that the family’s dog, a black lab, was in the pool underneath the infant holding the child up out of the water on the dog's back.

Patricia grabbed her son and, seeing that he was unresponsive, she attempted to call 911 but was unable to get cellphone service from the residence. At this time she began driving to the Marcellus Fire Dept. (approximately 2 miles from her residence) to get help.

Once on the roadway, Patricia was able to get cellphone service and contacted Cass County Central Dispatch. At the time she was on the phone with Central Dispatch the child regained consciousness. Upon her arrival at the fire department, Marcellus Fire and Ambulance personal examined the victim who was found to be conscious and in good condition. The child was taken to the Three Rivers hospital by the parents where he was treated and released.

Stay with us for more on this story.

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