Deep in thought, Ryan Crosby’s gaze fixated on the plain wall and his math book. “How am I supposed to solve this one?” he mumbled.
The 8-year-old faced a looming deadline for his math assignment the next day, and he needed assistance with a few challenging problems.
Despite scouring the internet, he couldn’t find the step-by-step answers he sought. Feeling desperate, Ryan decided to take a bold step and dialed 911.
“911. What’s your emergency?” the operator’s voice answered.
Though the emergency unit in Madison had received various calls for help in the past, this one was unusual.
“You need help with math???” the dispatcher exclaimed after hearing Ryan’s plea.
“Yes, I do,” Ryan replied. “My mom always told me I shouldn’t be scared to call 911 to ask for help.”
Apprehensive about the possibility of a prank call, the operator cautiously listened to the young boy.
“Listen, son…What’s your name?” the operator inquired.
“My name is Ryan.”
“Ryan, this is not a tutorial center… It’s an emergency line,” the operator gently explained. “Is there any emergency we can help you with?”
However, Ryan persisted, adamant that he only needed assistance with his math problems. “Please! My mom said 911 helps… help me with this, please!” he pleaded.
At this juncture, the operator grappled with the decision to hang up, but she couldn’t ignore the possibility that this wasn’t a prank. To verify, she felt it necessary to have a conversation with Ryan’s mother.
“Alright! I’ll transfer your call to the non-emergency department. But before that, could you pass the phone to your mother?” the operator requested.
Ryan sobbed, expressing that he wouldn’t have called 911 if his mother had been at home.
“I understand. Is there another adult with you in the house?” the operator inquired.
“No, it’s just me,” Ryan revealed.
“Are you saying you’re all alone in the house, Ryan?”
“Yes.”
“Please hold on for a moment… hold on…” The operator kept Ryan on the line while quickly attempting to trace his address. Within no time, the police rushed to Ryan’s home, finding him by himself at 10 p.m.
“Hello, Ryan. Where is your mother? How long have you been alone in the house?” an officer calmly questioned Ryan.
The boy explained that the house had been empty since he arrived home from school that afternoon. “I had the spare keys with me.”
The officers sensed something was amiss and attempted to contact Ryan’s mother, Matilda, but her phone was switched off.
“Something doesn’t seem right… Officer, you stay with him while we search,” one cop instructed his partner.
Moments later, the officer received a call from the control room, providing the last known location of Matilda’s phone.
“What… What’s going on? Where is my mother?” Ryan cried anxiously.
One officer remained with Ryan for comfort, while the others swiftly headed to the location in their patrol vehicle.
The coordinates led them to the outskirts of town, where an old deserted mill stood. “Her phone was last active in this area… Go on, search this place,” an officer commanded, pointing to the secluded area.
Despite thorough searching for half an hour, they found nothing. Soon, a K9 unit arrived to assist in the search. They let the dog sniff Matilda’s used scarf, which they had obtained from her house.
Within seconds, K9 Caesar picked up a scent and led the cops in a different direction. Ten minutes later, they discovered a stranded car in the middle of a desolate route.
“Officers, stay back…alert….” the cop cautioned. As they approached the scene, they encircled the car, and upon peering inside, they discovered Matilda lying motionless on the seat. “Let’s get her out of there!” the officer exclaimed.
Ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived, and Matilda was swiftly taken to the hospital.
“Mrs. Crosby? Are you alright?” the cop asked Matilda once she regained consciousness. “Can you please tell us what happened?”
Matilda recounted that she had gone to visit her sister in the neighboring town that morning.
“I wanted to make a quick stop for shopping and decided to take a shortcut,” she explained. “But while driving, I suddenly passed out, and I don’t remember anything after that.”
The doctor later revealed that Matilda had fainted due to heat exhaustion. Her phone battery had died, leaving her unconscious in the car throughout the day. Fortunately, a window had been left open, which allowed her to survive.
The officer then shared with Matilda how they had located her. “It appears that one call Ryan made to 911 saved your life…”
Later, an officer drove Matilda back home. When Ryan saw her, he rushed over and hugged her, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Mommy! I missed you… Where were you?” he cried.
Matilda embraced her son with affection. She realized that encouraging her boy to call 911 whenever he needed help had been the right decision.
“You saved my life!” she said with a smile.
This incident served as a powerful example for Matilda’s friends and family. They taught their children not to fear calling 911 whenever they required assistance, knowing that it could make all the difference in an emergency.
