Earlier this week, a man and his dog helped to rescue an 86-year-old man who’d been trapped inside his vehicle overnight in freezing temperatures near Pittsburgh. Michael Tutolo was out for an early morning walk with his two-year-old rescue mini-doodle, Oliver, when they discovered a red Jeep covered in ice with fogged-up windows about 200 yards off the roadway. Oliver wouldn’t stop barking at the vehicle, leading Tutolo to believe someone must have been inside it.
After he called for help, authorities arrived and found Lawrence Conklin inside the jeep, showing signs of hypothermia but still responsive. Conklin's daughter says he was on his way to visit a friend when they believe his low blood sugar caused him to drive off the road. Rescuers from the Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company used a basket and rope system to move him to a flat area before transporting him by pickup truck to a waiting ambulance.
Conklin tells rescuers he’d been stuck since 5p.m. the previous evening, and his car had eventually run out of gas. Residents in the area hadn't noticed any signs of an accident, but fortunately Oliver's barking alerted Tutolo that something was wrong. He says his dog always reacts to unusual sights and sounds, which helped lead to the rescue. Conklin’s family says he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Source: CBS NEWS
Photo: Grant Faint / The Image Bank / Getty Images