The Colorado floodwaters are receding; however, the recovery and rebuilding process is far from over. The foods have left six dead, plus two women missing who are presumed dead. Although the number of people unaccounted for has fallen in the past few days from 1,200 to 200, there is still much to be done for Colorado after the devastating flooding.
With all the stories of devastation and heartache, there are a few of hope and heroism. Stories of people who are risking everything to save others, and dogs who are doing the same. Just ask Ronnie Webb, a seeing-impaired man, who credits his dog for saving his life.
On a Friday, September 13th, Ronnie Webb was knocked over by flood waters and landed in a culvert where his guide-dog did not take his eyes off of him.
Officer Del Creason noticed the dog paying close attention to the water below, which led him to explore the situation further. His attempt to investigate caused Webb to scream for help and his dog to jump into the culvert after him. Officer Creason watched as they were both sucked under the water.
Thankfully, Officer Creason was familiar with the area and knew where the two would re-surface. He sought the assistance of a paramedic who was nearby and was able to rescue both Webb and his dog after they had been in the ditch for 17 minutes.
Feeling guilt for not being able to reach the man sooner, he apologized and offered all the credit for the rescue to the dog, who he believes kept Webb afloat during their 17 minutes in the culvert. Webb was taken to the hospital and has been reunited with his dog. We are happy to reported they are both safe and sound. |