KALKASKA — It’s not every day you can call your 8-year old son a hero, but that’s exactly how Robert Austin of Kalkaska describes his boy.
After some quick thinking and acting on instinct, Robert’s son Kain jumped into action to save his father’s life. Robert was planning to create a space for his family to enjoy the water. With only him and his 8-year-old son, Kain, at home he was hoping to get work done. That was until the tractor he was borrowing got stuck.
Robert explains, “I tried pulling the tractor out, but tractor obviously weighs quite a bit, so that didn’t help. I asked Kain to kind of back up for safety precautions and basically, I started to loosen up the tow strap. When I hit the last pin with the hammer to dislodge the box blade, it just kind of flew back on me and knocked me down into the water with it on top of me. I tried to lift it and I couldn’t budge it, so, I screamed for Kain.”
Without hesitation, Kain, stepped right in grabbing his father’s phone and running to their next door neighbor’s hoping someone was home.
When asked, “Tell me what was going through your mind when you saw your dad in the water and he needed help? What was the first thing that came to mind?”
Kain said, “Scared and shock.”
Luckily the neighbors were able to step in until EMS arrived.
Robert says, “It was it was pretty traumatic, this little guy being 8 years old, he kept it calm. I’m sure it was scary, but his composure was that of any hero. You know, and I can’t thank him enough because if he wasn’t down here with me, who knows how this would have gone. He’s a good kid, and in my personal opinion, he is a true-life hero.”
Robert went into emergency surgery and is expected to make full recovery and he says his shin bone prevented the blade from entering further into his leg.
He shared, “They said I really lucked out in being in that water. Probably helped me from bleeding out for as long as I was in the water. As dirty as it is, you know, their biggest concern at that point was infection.”
With Robert now home he is looking to his son as his hero and Kain feels the same way about him.
Kain says, “he’s also my hero because he gets me through a lot of stuff.”
Robert’s message to parents: teach your kids how to call 9-1-1. He believes it could save a life.