A teenage boy and his dog selflessly went out in the woods on a cold winter night to rescue an injured elderly man. In the process, the boy and his dog became local heroes.
On March 3rd, 2017, 89-year-old Lloyd Stone went out cross-country skiing on a trail near his home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. When it started getting dark, he headed back towards his car. But unfortunately, on his way there he slipped on a patch of ice. He fell onto his backside and crushed his hip.
“I was on my back and I tried to push myself along a bit with my good leg to work myself out to the highway,” Stone told CBC.
Stone continued trying to reach the highway. It was getting colder, and he kept getting more tired. He started losing hope that he would make it to the highway.
What Stone didn’t know was that someone was coming for him. As he was driving home, 17-year-old Calvin Kuchta noticed a car parked by itself by a ski trail. He knew that it was Stone’s car, and he thought it was strange that Stone was cross-country skiing at night.
Kuchta hurried home and picked up his dog, Arik, who is a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police dog. These dogs are trained in a variety of skills, including search and rescue. Kuchta was in such a hurry that he didn’t have time to find Arik’s leash. He just attached a jump rope to Arik’s collar, grabbed a flashlight, and hopped back into his car.
When they reached the ski trail, Kuchta pointed Arik towards the trail and said, “Track it.” Arik sprang into action.
Arik put his nose to the ground and ran towards where Stone was laying. Stone saw Kuchta’s flashlight and called out for help. Arik ran towards Stone, with Kuchta right behind him. Arik licked Stone’s face while Kutcha called 911. Soon, the police and an ambulance arrived, and Stone was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries and hypothermia.
Stone is recovering from his injuries, and he’s extremely grateful for what Arik and Kuchta did for him. He’s also planning on getting back out into the woods, although his skiing days are probably behind him. “I think I’ll give up skiing and take up something safer, like snowshoeing,” he told CBC.
Arik and Kuchta showed amazing selflessness when they went out in the dead of winter to rescue Stone. These two brave individuals are true heroes!
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