Navy Veteran Suffers Stroke, Saved By His Dog

CarolinaEast Rehabilitation / Facebook

This is the story of Rudy Armstrong, an 86-year-old Navy Veteran who suffered a stroke in his three-room floating house, where he lives with his little dog Boo-Boo.

https://www.facebook.com/carolinaeasthealth/posts/3145573712199829

The Navy Veteran was alone with his pet when the incident happened in Oriental, North Carolina.

“I sat down in my chair, drank my coffee, and the next thing I know it was after lunch,” Armstong said to WCTI12. “I couldn’t even get my hand to move and my foot wouldn’t move.”

Rudy was having a stroke. He couldn’t reach the phone to call for help but he knew he could count on his best friend Boo-Boo, a female dog to bring help to the house.

“I didn’t want to be there for a couple of days before somebody would come by,” Rudy explained to WCTI12, “So I said, ‘Ok Boo-Boo, go get me some help.'”

Boo-Boo grabbed the attention of a man who works at the dock named Kim and brought him to Rudy. As Kim acknowledged Rudy is having a stroke, he called 911 asking for paramedics to come to the boat. Rudy was taken by the emergency services to Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern.

https://www.facebook.com/carolinaeasthealth/photos/a.2606107782813094/3134009226689611

After a few days of rehabilitation at the hospital, Rudy was finally reunited with Boo-Boo and says he is grateful she saved his life! CarolinaEast Medical Center shared this wonderful story on its Facebook page with heartwarming pictures. Among the comments CarolinaEast Medical Center received, Lorie Raven wrote:

“Thank god he had a pup that knew he was in trouble and needed to get help and thank god they listened to the pup!”