Brothers save dog from Flint

Two brothers saved a Molena woman’s dog from the Flint River after the elderly canine was stuck in the mud for around 15 hours in extreme conditions. Charles and Helen Beckham said their 12-year-old dog Cissy is severely scared of thunder and disappeared during a storm. Many hours later brothers Josh and Matt McDermitt spotted the dog as they were leaving the Flint River in their boat. ’The storm was on a Friday morning and it started around 1:30 a.m. We figure she was in there 15 hours or so. We had another hard rain and I know she was scared to death,’ said Beckham. ‘Around 7 p.m., a truck drove up and it was two young men who had rescued her from the river where she was stuck in the mud. When they found her, they got her in the boat and then went looking for her owners. They were so thoughtful and concerned for the dog and us. They went through all that trouble when they were trying to go home for supper. They said it was just light enough to see her and if it’d been any darker they would have missed her.’The two men said once they saw the dog struggling in the mud they could not just leave her there. ’We couldn’t just let that dog die like that,’ said Matt McDermitt. The black lab ‘“ who is 84 in dog years ‘“ is no worse for wear than she was before the incident. She struggles with arthritis but seems happy to be back home in her bed. The two young men who saved her went searching for her owner at properties along the river and found the Beckhams ‘“ and their dog ‘“ very appreciative of the rescue. ’When we went out there she was sitting in the boat and didn’t want to get out,’ said Beckham. ‘These two young men went above and beyond to save her and then return her home.’