64-year-old Bob was at home in Northern Michigan when he stepped outside to get some firewood. It was supposed to be a quick jaunt into the cold but it turned into a 20-hour near-death experience.
According to Fox2 Detroit, Bob was wearing pajamas that consisted of some long johns, a t-shirt, and slippers when he stepped outside for firewood around 10:30 P.M.
On his way to the firewood pile, Bob slipped on some ice and ended up falling to the ground and breaking his neck. He tried to get up, but he was paralyzed.
According to Fox2 Detroit, Bob said, “I was screaming for help but my nearest neighbor is about a quarter mile away and it was 10:30 p.m. But my Kelsey came.”
As hours passed, Kelsey stayed faithfully by Bob’s side. Temperatures dropped to a below-freezing 24 degrees. Kelsey not only barked to call for help, but she also laid on Bob to keep him warm and saved his life in the process.
“She kept barking for help but never left my side. She kept me warm and alert. I knew I had to persevere through this and that it was my choice to stay alive,” Bob shared, according to the news outlet.
After 19 hours in that position, Bob lost consciousness. At that point, Kelsey began howling and screeching and a neighbor finally noticed and came to see what was going on. Bob was found around 6:30 P.M. on New Year’s Day after 20 hours of laying on his back in the snow.
He was taken to Mclaren Northern Michigan for care and they found he was hypothermic and suffering from C4-C5 disc herniation.
It was a terrifying experience and he needed a lot of therapy and time to recover, but it’s all thanks to Kelsey that he made it through that fateful night.
