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Photo: Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospit

Family Dog Rescues 11-Year-Old Boy After Hurricane Helene Mudslide

What a good boy! A family dog came to the rescue of a 11-year-old boy after the child got separated from the rest of the family in a Hurricane Helene mudslide.

According to WCNC Charlotte, 11-year-old Jamie Parker was at his grandparents' house in Asheville when Helene hit. His sister and his dog Tucker were also home. Jamie said he was sitting on the couch when the mudslide happened.

He said, "The house mudslided, and I face-planted into a wall, full body went flying." Following the mudslide, Jamie fell into a deep pile of rubble. It made finding him near-impossible. No one could hear his cries for help. That's when Tucker showed up.

"I was screaming at the top of my lungs, and my grandma couldn't hear me. Tucker was above me, and he was barking. I heard him whining and barking," said Jamie.

Unfortunately, his grandparents dismissed the dog. But Tucker refused to budge from the spot until firefighters arrived. They found the 11-year-old buried underneath.

Dog Saves Boy During Hurricane Helene

"I think he could hear me and smell me. He was trying to tell them where I was," said Jamie. Dogs' noses are more sensitive than humans after all. The American Kennel Club says, "The dog's snout is structured in such a way that, while he is sniffing out odors, he doesn't exhale and disturb even the faintest of scents. And the part of the brain that processes smells is seven times larger in dogs than in humans."

First responders ended up airlifting Jamie to a hospital They later medically cleared him. Sadly, they ended up losing their home in Hurricane Helene. Strangers ended up helping the family out by giving them a house to live in rent-free for six months.

"It's good to be back in our community," Michael Johns says, adding that "people keep offering us food and supplies." He also said, "Jamie is feeling okay, but he's having PTSD, so we're going to see a doctor."

The family launched a GoFundMe to help raise donations. Fortunately, no one lost their lives from the family during Hurricane Helene. Tucker is a good boy indeed.