MADISON WILLIAMS was studying in her bedroom in Dublin, Ohio, in August 2016 when the door burst open. It was her mother, Leigh Williams, with a horrific and incredible story: “A little boy fell into a septic tank, and no one can reach him.” Then she made this request of her 13-year-old daughter: “Can you help?”
Madison and Leigh ran to a neighbor’s yard, where they found the boy’s distraught mother and other frantic adults surrounding a septic tank opening that protruded a few inches above the neatly trimmed lawn. It was 11 inches in diameter— slightly wider than a basketball— with a hatch that had not been secured. The boy, who was only two years old, had slipped in and was drowning in four feet of sewage inside a tank that was eight feet deep.
The men and women—who minutes earlier had been enjoying a party in a nearby home when they heard the boy’s mother scream— were dropping extension cords into the sludge, hoping the child would grab hold so they could pull him out.
This story is from the February 2018 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2018 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GOTCHA!
We asked for it: What's the best prank you ever pulled?
KITT THE COURAGEOUS K-9
Officer Bill Cushing needed a partner. His dog needed a purpose. Together, they rescued each other.
Let's Dance!
It's good for your body, soul and even your brain
DISASTER ON THE RIVER
Two canoeists struggle to keep themselves and their friendship-afloat
WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THE STUFF WE RETURN
Think your rejects go back on the shelves? Think again.
Words to Live By
Poems offered me an anchor as I lost my son, so I shared them
LOST, FOUND, HOMEWARD BOUND
A collection of heart-thumping, tail-wagging, zoomies-inducing pet reunion tales
Paging Dr. AI
IF YOU'VE EVER Googled symptoms (and who hasn't?), you've probably scared yourself with a dire diagnosis, with no doctor there to vet the source and put the information in context. But we can't help ourselves. So can AI help?
The HEALTHY WELLNESS FROM THEHEALTHY.COM
A vaccine is finally on the way. In the meantime, here's how to protect yourself from ticks.
How to Speak Like a Midwesterner
FROM THE BOOK A GUIDE TO MIDWESTERN CONVERSATION