It is a tale of bravery, survival, and an incredible bonding between a boy and his dog. An 11-year-old boy, Jamie, is indebted to his loyal dog, Tucker, for his survival. On a mountainous tripping site, the terrible mudslide destroyed Jamie’s home, but his dog, Tucker, saved his life.
Last week, Hurricane Helene struck full force and provoked a mudslide. “I was at home with my grandparents and sister, Gemma, near Asheville. Suddenly, the walls of the house collapsed,” he said. Jamie and Gemma sat on the couch when everything began shaking. “I flew into a wall,” remembers Jamie. His grandmother flew onto the roof, and Jamie became buried under 12 feet of mud and rubble.
Jamie felt that he all alone and so scared. “I couldn’t hear anyone. I thought they were all gone,” he said. It rained, and water dripped on him while he lay trapped. He could not see any light and feared he would run out of air.
But Jamie had a hero – his dog, Tucker. Tucker lay right on top of the mess, barking in an unending cycle. That barking was the key to Jamie’s rescue. Rescuers couldn’t see Jamie, but they could hear Tucker. “He was just staying right above me, just barking like crazy,” Jamie said. Suddenly, Tucker stopped because help had finally come. Firefighters followed Tucker’s barking and reached Jamie by chainsaw.
Thanks to Tucker’s big nose and sharp ears, Jamie was rescued by the rescue team. He was airlifted to Atrium Health Hospital in Concord for treatment. Though he is now okay, ready to go home, it has emerged that the family has nowhere to go. Their home is gone.
This has proved to be quite a great hospital nursing team. They bought them food and clothes and all other basic supplies for Jamie’s family. The nurses even went as far as taking in Tucker while Jamie was undergoing treatment.
They quite literally lost everything, yet are grateful left to have each other—and Tucker, a dog they rescued three years ago. Tucker was the last dog in the shelter, and the family took it upon themselves to save him with their allowance money. Today, Tucker returned the favor by saving Jamie’s life.
The story really reminds one of the love that exists between humans and animals, the loyalty, and the bond.