A 5-year-old Washington state boy played a critical role after his Dad suffered a stroke while driving.
A critical skill for every parent to teach a child is how to use the phone in an emergency. Shortly after one Washington state Mom taught her 5-year-old son how to do so, the boy ended up saving his Dad’s life.
46-year-old Richard Paget was driving from Spokane, Washington, to Oregon City, Oregon, with his young son, Dax. Paget was suffering from a stroke but was able to pull over to the side of the highway.
Using his Dad’s phone, Dax quickly called his Mom, Rachael Ballard. After Ballard notified 911, Oregon State Police Trooper Joseph Dezso called Paget, but Paget could not talk clearly.
The phone’s signal was tracked to a wide 15-mile radius. Dax took over guiding police to their location, and gave accurate descriptions of landmarks and surroundings. Mentioning the train tracks nearby narrowed the search to a 3-mile section along Interstate 84.
Emergency responders got to Paget quickly and found him losing consciousness. He was taken to the hospital while Dax stayed with police.
Officer Dezso said that Dax ,“is a very bright young man and definitely saved his dad's life.”
