As Toddler Drowns In Pool Fast-Acting Dog Dives In To Rescue Him

Nov 06, 2020

Pets are great members of the family. They enjoy spending time with you — whether that's relaxing on the couch or running around the park. They are loyal beings that will often do almost anything to protect you. For one family in southwestern Michigan, they were extremely grateful for their dog Bear after he saved 14-month-old Stanley Drauch back in the summer of 2012.

Patricia Drauch was tending to her garden one bright sunny day, as CBS Detroit reports. She says she had her 14-month-old toddler, Stanley, walking alongside her. While working, she says that she realized she needed a tool in the garage.

She grabbed her son by the hand, and the two walked towards the garage. Patricia stepped inside quickly to grab the item, leaving Stanley outside. When she came out, Stanley had disappeared.

There are not a lot of places he could have walked to in that short period of time. Patricia searched every area of their property but could not find him.

Then it popped into her head. He must have wandered towards the swimming pool area. She ran as quickly as she could to see if her instincts were right. To her dismay, she saw her 14-month-old baby floating in the middle of the pool.

She saw Stanley submerged partially in the swimming pool water. From where she was standing, she thought at first that her son was floating, according to CBS Detroit. But then she realized that his lips were blue from a lack of oxygen. She must have felt distraught, knowing that her baby was in danger. But then she realized something else.

There seemed to be an object underneath Stanley, keeping him afloat. She took another look and realized it was their black Labrador, Bear. The family had Bear ever since the kids were born. They taught him to treat the babies like they were his own. He was groomed to care for them at a very young age.

Bear must have seen Stanley stumble into the pool and acted quickly. He dove into the water and got underneath him. He positioned himself so that the baby would lie on his back.

He stood very still, making sure to not drop Stanley back into the water. It was instinctive of him to do this so that he would not fill his lungs up with water. Patricia told one outlet that it looked like he was too frightened to move.

“[Bear] wouldn’t move in the pool,” Patricia Drauch told WOOD-TV. “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 [Bear] came up out of the pool with me.”

She rushed into the water to grab her baby boy and dialed 911. After a while of not getting a response, she decided to take him to the nearest fire station. Grabbing all of her kids, she put all of them in the car and drove as fast as she could. One of her other boys said that she went a little over the speed limit, but that was to be expected.

During the ride, she noticed Stanley started to cough out some excess water. She was thankful that he was responsive.

After arriving at the fire station, Stanley was taken to the hospital where he could receive better assistance. He had X-rays taken of his lungs and thankfully no water had entered them, as WOOD-TV reports. There were no major injuries found from his accident. His family was extremely relieved and grateful to hear the good news.

The Drauch family is extremely thankful and grateful for Bear’s quick thinking and action. His heroic deed saved Stanley’s life and they will never forget it. Even though things turned out on a happy note, caution must still be heeded. Children love to venture out on their own and explore their surroundings. They can move very quickly and be out of sight within a few seconds. Parents should always be conscious of where their children are at all times. 

After getting Stanley home, the parents said that they decided to put up construction fencing to prevent anyone else from falling into the pool.

Bear is a very courageous dog. He knew that a loved one was in trouble, and he did exactly what was needed to help. This family is fortunate to have a loving and caring dog like him.

Do you have any kids and pets? Have your pets had to save your child after getting into some kind of danger? Post your story below. Tell your friends and family about Bear and his heroism so they can give their opinion.