5-yr-old wandered away from home in subzero temperatures at 4 AM — a stranger's sharp eye changed the kid's fate
A person's situational awareness can save someone's life at times. A snow plow driver experienced that when he saw a kid out in subzero temperatures one morning and decided to help him out. The man was out plowing snow at 4 AM that morning when he noticed that the five-year-old had wandered out of his house. He immediately took action and called for emergency help. The driver also did everything in his power to keep the boy warm in the meantime, per ABC 13 News.
The man, David Gehrke, was clearing out the roads at West Bend, Wisconsin, really early in the morning when he witnessed something unusual. He saw that a kid was roaming around, cold and alone and without any shoes, hat, or jacket. "I immediately took my jacket off and wrapped it around him and put him in the truck," Gehrke recounted. "I called police dispatch. I got the heat blasting in the truck. I'll keep him warm until we get help on the way." It was snowing miserably that day, per WISN 12 News. The man had spotted something by his wingblade as he worked before he got to the boy. He realized that it was not a "dog" but a child just dressed in a onesie in the cold weather.
"The side of my truck had illuminated him. It was 4 AM. What was he doing out here?" Gehrke remembered thinking. The boy, Maddox Pierce, had snuck out of his house while his babysitter was watching him. They weren't far from the boy's home, but he was really cold as he had wandered out without protective clothing. The police eventually came and put the boy in the backseat of their car and drove him home. The boy shared with the police that he woke up and thought he was alone and got scared. So he had decided to go to his grandpa's house. His 14-year-old aunt was babysitting him when he snuck out.
His mom was at work at that time. "I have been a mess since everything happened," the mom, Brittany Weissenburger, shared with the outlet. "He has never ever done anything like this before." The mom was really grateful that the snow plow driver saved the boy's life. "I am so thankful. Like, what are the odds that he would find someone at the exact moment when he pretty much came outside?" The woman was really scared because of the incident and hoped that her son would not do it again. She even bought a bunch of cameras and alarms as a safety measure. The mom and the boy went on to thank the Gehrke in person.
Gehrke held the boy and told him, "They were so worried about you" and chuckled. The police also gave the snow plow driver a certificate of appreciation for saving Maddox. The boy was unharmed when he came back home. Nobody was charged in the incident, per ABC 13 News. Many people appreciated the driver's kind act in WISN 12 News' YouTube comments section. @TheRepublicofJohn wrote, "What an absolutely wonderful and caring public servant! These plow drivers and other city workers are the unseen and unsung heroes. Glad the little guy got home safe!" @glw5166 commented, "Thank God for this man. Sweet little boy. Thank God he was saved."