Dog saves deaf 13-year-old owner from fire by giving him 'warning licks'
Nick Lamb had taken out his hearing aids the night before and was only alerted to the fire when his dog began to lick his face
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An Indianapolis pit bull named Ace has been hailed a hero after he was able to save his 13-year-old deaf owner from a by giving him “warning licks”.
Nick Lamb, who was born deaf, had fallen asleep without his hearing aids in when the fire began on Wednesday evening.
Yet, as the blaze spread and the house began to fill with smoke, the warning barks from Ace could not be heard by the hearing aid-less Lamb.
Instead of running to safety, Ace then tried to wake up his owner by licking his face until he woke up.
Lamb said: “My dog licked my face and woke me up
"I was like, `Stop it! What? You want to be fed?' I thought he wanted to be fed or go outside."
When Lamb realised the smoke billowing into his room, he quickly took action, grabbing a T-shirt to cover his nose and mouth and exiting through the back door.
A shoeless Lamb and his sidekick Ace managed to get out of the house unscathed, before contacting 911 and, of course, Lamb’s mum.
Lindsay Bernard, the relieved mother of Lamb, told the Associated Press that Ace was responsible for saving her son from injury.
She said: "It's amazing, because if he wouldn't have been there, he probably wouldn't have even woke up."
It is estimated that the fire caused $175,000 worth of damage to the property.
According to Graham, it was the first time he had been allowed to stay at the home alone and had returned home just days before from summer camp.
Ace was not the only pet to have been in the house when the fire began.
Pixie, Lamb’s cat, was discovered by Firefighters inside the home. She was She was taken to a vet for smoke inhalation and was expected to recover.
Additional Reporting by AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments