Dog Stays By Woman's Side Until She is Rescued

Heather Williams
December 9,2005

There is a modern day Lassie for you today in Athens, Tennessee.

Her name is Dixie, and she stayed by her master's side until help came.

Mrs. Nelly Sue McKeehan is 84-years old. She was driving home from the grocery store on Tuesday and stopped at her mail box. When she got back in the car, she accidently put it in reverse. Mrs. McKeehan did a u-turn back-wards into a deep ravine by her house.

Somehow, she ended up outside the car, and Dixie was right there with her.
"she'd lick me in the face, but she'd get up and i'd tell her to go hunt some help. she'd go around and around, then she'd come back," Mrs.McKeehan says.
Her dog, Dixie, stayed by her side through it all keeping her warm. Mrs. McKeehan lied in the ravine for two hours before her someone found her.

Mrs McKeehan says, "I done a lot of praying for somebody to come and find me. and the mailman came and i kept screaming and screaming and there was cars going by back and forth and nobody ever heard me."

Her mailman found her and called for help. Medical crews came to get her out, and they took her to the hospital with bumps and bruises.

Mrs. McKeehan's son, Rogers says it time for her to stop driving. "Oh yeah, i'm thankful everything's ok. she was worried about the car. I said you can buy a car everyday. Can't buy mama's."

Mrs. McKeehan adds, "I don't ever want to go through anything like that again. And I know I had an angel watching over me."

Mrs. McKeehan's family is staying with her right now while she heals.