Posted on 11/13/2005 3:22:26 PM PST by girlangler
Thanks to his Lab, hunter avoids death By Bill Wundram
BRENT Teel was going down for the fourth time in deep water. His waders, filled with water, kept sucking him deeper into the cold Mississippi River. Wader straps were tangling around his neck. Water was up to his nose.
“I knew I was going to die. I was choking, but could yell for my dog, Junior. He had been circling me in the water. That black Lab knew that I was in big trouble. He swam to me. I grabbed onto his collar and he pulled me at least 20 yards to the bank of a sandbar — that’s 60 feet — a long way.”
Brent Teel is telling about his close call with death by drowning a weekend ago while duck hunting near his hometown of Buffalo. His voice is still hoarse from a cold, suffered from his struggle in the 45- degree water. He says:
“My dog and God saved me from dying.”
His mother, Pat Teel, speaks up, “When I saw Brent after all that, he was shaking like in a convulsion. His lips were white. He could hardly talk.”
Brent, 29, a big-time outdoorsman, set out in his boat for duck hunting with Junior. He was in a boat blind, anchored at the point of an island near Linwood, upstream from Buffalo. It was a spot where he had often hunted for ducks.
“A flock of mallards flew over and I fired. I watched one come down and walked onto a wing dam to get the duck that was floating away. After 30 yards, I slipped off that wing dam into the water. It was deep. It can be 35 feet deep in some spots. I tried to get up, but my waders kept filling with water.”
Brent kept his cool. If he could get his waders off, he’d probably be all right. He stiffly held out his 12-gauge shotgun as a prod to help, but it went straight down into the deep water. As any outdoorsman knows, waders full of water can be deadly anchors.
“I was getting weak, went down three times before finally getting out of my waders but the straps tangled around my neck. When I went down the fourth time, the water was up to my nose. I was freezing cold and drowning. I knew that I was gone, but somehow, could see Junior thrashing around me.
“I yelled and he came close enough to grab his collar. He pulled me through the water right up to land, all those 60 feet, at least. He’s a young dog but strong and weighs 75 pounds.”
Exhausted and barely able to move, Brent remembers stretching out on the island’s shore, shaking and gagging. He crawled on hands and knees to reach his boat and shakily call on his CB to his dad, Steve Teel Sr.: “Dad, I need help.”
Steve says, “He could hardly talk. We didn’t know what was going on, but moved fast to where we knew he was hunting.”
Brent’s family called the Buffalo Ambulance Service to wait on the shore. Brent and Junior were found huddled in the boat. The dog was close against him, as if to keep him warm.
We sat in the living room of the Teel home, listening to the family describe the ordeal. Brent brought Junior — a rambunctious Labrador — inside from his kennel. Brent hugged the big dog and said:
“If it wasn’t for this dog, I wouldn’t be here to talk to you.”
Bill Wundram can be contacted at (563) 383-2249 or bwundram@qctimes.com.
Dog ping!
Good dog...
Labs have hearts the size of an elephant and are nearly as strong.
It's good to have one love you.
Awww... I miss my yellow Lab.
Thanks for the post.
Man's best friend Bump.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
"DOG SAVES STUPID OWNER'
"dog" is God spelled backwards.
There's no friend like a loyal dog, and I love my English setter.
Billhilly, are you pinged yet?
Labs are wonderful dogs. I grew up with them. I am glad that he survived. It sounds as if it were a very close thing.
Labs---I got two males---tough, strong and stubborn, but very loyal and and loving. And they stop eating the furniture when they finally mature (which takes 3 years.)
" Brent brought Junior — a rambunctious Labrador — inside from his kennel."
- Wouldn't you think that after saving Brent's life that Junior would have at least been rewarded with his own life time spot inside, beside the fireplace?
/john
Lab Ping!
Unlikely that he got the cold from the cold water (it will kill a rhinovirus). He probably got the cold later due to a weakened immune system.
I thought the exact same thing. My enormous puppy is a house dog.
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