In The Middle Of The Woods
When disaster hit, the old man was on his usual hike with his two dogs in the nearby woods. He suddenly collapsed. There was no one around for miles.
Seeing their owner on the ground, the dogs started to freak out. And one of them ran away from the spot as if something had spooked him. The other stood by its owner and began barking. What was sure was that the old man was in danger. And the dogs did something no one had seen coming.
A Simple Old Man
James Rohan was a simple old man from England who was trying to make the best of his retirement years.
He was 71 years old and had worked as a construction worker for most of his life. He retired to the countryside, close to nature, and enjoyed exploring the nearby woods as often as possible. Sadly, his health issues would soon make him consider giving up on his exploring days.
Love For Hiking
Since he was a little boy, James has loved hiking with his father. And now, when he was retired, he could do it as much as he wanted.
The only problem was that James had some health issues that didn't go hand in hand with hiking. But the man always used to say, "I'm old enough already. Let me enjoy my late years how I want," whenever a doctor recommended him to be careful.
Not Alone
The old man's only company on his hikes was the two beautiful dogs he adopted with his late wife a few years ago.
He did everything with them, including hiking, and he loved them dearly. The man had a black Labrador and a Golden Retriever, and he always said they were the only company he needed on his hikes. Were they really helpful, though, or would they actually put him in danger even more?
Not The First Time
The old man had a dangerous episode before. While doing some yard work, he collapsed and had a seizure.
Luckily, it was the middle of the day, and one neighbor noticed that he was unresponsive and quickly called the emergency services. This made the old man think about what he would do if this happened again while he was on a hike, but since the seizures were rare, he decided it was not worth giving up on his life because of them. He would soon realize what a terrible decision that was.
Danger
The old man knew he was in danger every time he went hiking, but he didn't want to give up on what had made him happy since he was a child. He went hiking with his father, his late wife, and now with his only family left: his dogs.
Giving up on hiking was like giving up on life itself for the old man.
New Route
When he decided to go hiking that Friday afternoon, the old man chose a different route than his usual one. After all, he loved exploring and wanted to see as much as he could of the woods in his area.
But after wandering around for a few hours, James realized what a terrible mistake he had made.
Alone In The Woods
It was getting dark, and the old man realized that, with the exception of his dogs, he was alone. No other human soul was around. And that wasn't his biggest problem. He realized that he was lost on the new route he took.
He tried to trace his steps back and finally found a path. He began following it, hoping to get out of the woods before it was too late. Would he make it, though?
Rushing
The man wanted to get out of the woods before it was completely dark. But he suddenly began to feel uneasy. His worst fears were becoming a reality. He thought he was about to have a seizure right there in the middle of nature.
So the old man began rushing, trying to walk faster and get back home as soon as possible.
Collapsed
The old man didn't make it out of the woods yet. He was exhausted, so he decided to sit for a bit on a fallen tree to catch his breath. His dogs were waiting by his side.
One moment later, though, he collapsed face down beside his dogs. The worst possible scenario was unraveling in front of his beloved dogs. What could they do? The man was in danger of losing his life.
The Dogs' Response
As the old man collapsed before their eyes, his dogs realized something was wrong. They were stuck in the middle of the woods and didn't know where to go.
They started to become agitated and didn't know what to do at first besides waiting and hoping the old man would get up. He didn't. So the dogs did something no one expected them to do.
Incredible Reactions
But his brilliant canines didn't wait for too long. They got to work as if knowing they were the old man's only hope. As if following through on an unspoken plan, the black Labrador set off in the direction of the last person they saw walk past them.
Meanwhile, the Golden Retriever stayed back to watch over their beloved dad, who was unconscious. He guarded the man so he would be safe from other animals.
Searching For Help
The dog who went on a quest to find help had finally encountered a person still on the hiking trek. As the black Labrador chased the woman, he barked to get her attention.
Thankfully, this kind stranger understood to follow the frantic dog, which then led her right to the unconscious hiker. When she arrived, his loyal Golden Retriever was still lying by his side.
Medical Emergency
By the time the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team arrived, the man had finally regained consciousness. Soon after, medics showed up and evaluated him.
Once it was confirmed that he was safe, he carefully walked down the hill, where he was put on an ambulance and taken to the hospital for further evaluations. He was fine in the end, thanks to his beloved dogs.
Heroes
Keswick Mountain Rescue Team had shared what happened on their social media page, and since then, the story had gone viral. Thousands were, rightfully so, praising the brilliant pups and the kind woman who saved the 71-year-old's life.
"Many thanks to the passing walker and the amazing dogs," Keswick Mountain Rescue Team wrote. Everyone was happy things turned out ok.