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02-23-2009, 03:37 AM
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5-Year-Old Calls 911 When Cop Dad Falls
Dispatchers Say Child Kept Cool
Posted: Friday, February 20, 2009
Boston -- Tyler Lofton, 5, only learned how to dial 911 a couple years ago, but the Attleboro, Mass., kindergartner was cool under pressure when his dad fell off a ladder and was knocked unconscious and bleeding, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.
"I was downstairs in the big room. I was watching TV," the boy said about the day his dad fell earlier this week. The child didn't know what was going on one floor above.
"I was fixing the attic, the spring and stuff. I was trying to tighten it up but the bolt snapped and the bar and the spring came flying down and hit me in the face," said Tyler's dad, Anthony Lofton.
Lofton, an Attleboro police officer, fell to the floor unconscious.
Tyler knew just what to do. Without hesitating, he ran for the phone and dialed 911.
"911. What's your emergency?" the dispatcher answered.
"My dad fell out of the attic and his face and hand is bleeding. Come real fast, OK?" Tyler responded.
Officers said Tyler calmly reported the accident to emergency crews, then comforted his 2-year-old brother, who was crying, while he waited for them to arrive.
The Attleboro Fire Department rushed a crew to the house, while Lofton was slowly regaining consciousness.
"I heard my son on the phone. My 2-year-old, he was crying," Lofton said.
Meanwhile, police tracked down the boys' mom, Lizette, who wasn't sure whether the call was a prank being played on her for her birthday.
"I thought it was a joke," she said. "It kind of dawned on me, 'I think this is going a little too far. It might be true.'"
When she heard the 911 tape of her son's call the next day, she broke into tears.
"He did a good job," she said.
"Me and my wife have been teaching him since he was about 3 or 3½, you know, to call 911, what to say, give your name," Lofton said.
Police Chief Richard Pierce Sr. said he was impressed by the cool-headed child, who answered questions over the phone and opened the door for firefighters when they arrived.
"We get a lot of 911 calls from people and they are hysterical on the other end of the line. It takes a few moments before you find out that someone is choking for instance. They are panicking," Pierce said.
Lofton was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro and is now home recuperating. He had stitches in his mouth and may have broken bones around his cheek and eyes.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.
5-Year-Old Calls 911 When Cop Dad Falls
Dispatchers Say Child Kept Cool
Posted: Friday, February 20, 2009
Boston -- Tyler Lofton, 5, only learned how to dial 911 a couple years ago, but the Attleboro, Mass., kindergartner was cool under pressure when his dad fell off a ladder and was knocked unconscious and bleeding, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.
"I was downstairs in the big room. I was watching TV," the boy said about the day his dad fell earlier this week. The child didn't know what was going on one floor above.
"I was fixing the attic, the spring and stuff. I was trying to tighten it up but the bolt snapped and the bar and the spring came flying down and hit me in the face," said Tyler's dad, Anthony Lofton.
Lofton, an Attleboro police officer, fell to the floor unconscious.
Tyler knew just what to do. Without hesitating, he ran for the phone and dialed 911.
"911. What's your emergency?" the dispatcher answered.
"My dad fell out of the attic and his face and hand is bleeding. Come real fast, OK?" Tyler responded.
Officers said Tyler calmly reported the accident to emergency crews, then comforted his 2-year-old brother, who was crying, while he waited for them to arrive.
The Attleboro Fire Department rushed a crew to the house, while Lofton was slowly regaining consciousness.
"I heard my son on the phone. My 2-year-old, he was crying," Lofton said.
Meanwhile, police tracked down the boys' mom, Lizette, who wasn't sure whether the call was a prank being played on her for her birthday.
"I thought it was a joke," she said. "It kind of dawned on me, 'I think this is going a little too far. It might be true.'"
When she heard the 911 tape of her son's call the next day, she broke into tears.
"He did a good job," she said.
"Me and my wife have been teaching him since he was about 3 or 3½, you know, to call 911, what to say, give your name," Lofton said.
Police Chief Richard Pierce Sr. said he was impressed by the cool-headed child, who answered questions over the phone and opened the door for firefighters when they arrived.
"We get a lot of 911 calls from people and they are hysterical on the other end of the line. It takes a few moments before you find out that someone is choking for instance. They are panicking," Pierce said.
Lofton was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro and is now home recuperating. He had stitches in his mouth and may have broken bones around his cheek and eyes.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.