In late September, a family dog managed to rescue a boy from under 12 feet of rubble after a mudslide slammed into their house during Hurricane Helene. The incident happened near Asheville, North Carolina, while they were casually relaxing on the couch. Fortunately, the 11-year-old’s canine companion found him just in time, and he is now on the road to recovery.
Boy after rescue: ‘I probably would’ve died if it wasn’t for Tucker’
Jamie Parker didn’t expect a mudslide to hit his house while he was casually spending time with his sister in their grandparents’ home. Hurricane Helene caused extensive destruction throughout, and Asheville was one of the areas badly hit by the storm. What followed was a massive mudslide that left Parker separated from the rest of his family.
Due to the mudslide, Parker was slammed into the wall and got buried under 12-foot-deep rubble. His grandma, Donna Johns, luckily was on the roof and his sister, Jemma, was in a visible area that facilitated quick rescue. However, Parker couldn’t be spotted by his family as he was buried deep under.
He feared the worst, thinking he was all alone and everybody was dead. It was only after his dog Tucker found him did the boy saw some hope of getting rescued after Hurricane Helene left the house in shambles. The canine did his best to draw attention to Parker, barking and whining so somebody came to save his human. Unfortunately, it took his family some time to realize Tucker was signaling for help.
The family dog’s dedication was commendable, as he stayed right by the 11-year-old’s side till he was rescued by firefighters. Jamie Parker was dug out and flown to the nearest hospital. He has been cleared by the professionals and is on the road to recovery at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Jeff Gordon Children’s Center.
The 11-year-old told WCNC Charlotte, “I probably would have died if it wasn’t for Tucker.” Since the family lost everything to Hurricane Helene, Tucker is currently in foster care. He is staying with and being cared for by one of the nurses at the hospital.
