Why People Crack Up When 5 Year Old Calls 911 for Her Dad

Savannah is a 5-year-old from Hancock County, Indiana. She is now being called a hero because she saved her dad’s life after a hilarious call to the 911 operators. This girl realized that her father couldn’t breathe, and she immediately called for help. Jason Bonham quickly came on the line as the dispatcher and was there to help her handle her dad until help could arrive.

Most young children aren’t level-headed during a crisis, but Savannah was. This impressed the paramedics and Bonham. However, the phone call shared by Jason and Savannah is still the cutest thing people have heard, and they continue talking about it.

Hard to Take Seriously

As Jason picked up the 911 dispatch call, he was caught off-guard because he heard a little girl’s voice at the other end. Quickly, he realized that it wasn’t a prank and was incredibly serious. However, he had issues keeping a straight face.

A Special Conversation

The conversation they had was funny, but that shouldn’t have happened. Many people called Savannah a hero, and millions have heard the conversation with the dispatcher. Why was the conversation hilarious?

In the Night

Savannah was watching television on the couch with her dad. She couldn’t fall asleep because her mom was on a business trip, even though it was late. Therefore, to soothe his daughter, her dad let her stay up late, not realizing that trouble was about to happen.

Impromptu Movie Evening

While Savannah was usually in bed much earlier, her dad let her stay up to watch “Frozen” if she promised to go to bed after. She agreed, even though she still wasn’t tired and just wanted her mom. Luckily for her dad, they decided to have some father-daughter time!

Strange Noise

About halfway through the movie, while Elsa conducted the children’s choir, her dad decided they needed more popcorn because that’s how you watch a movie. Savannah was singing along and then heard strange noises from the kitchen.

What’s Happening

LouLou, the pet dog, started barking and continued. Though Savannah said to be quiet, it didn’t help. Therefore, she called for her dad and got no answer. Savannah paused her movie and went into the kitchen to find out. She instantly knew something was very wrong here!

Scary Night

The first thing Savannah noticed was her dad lying on the floor with all the popcorn around him. She went to him, but he was grabbing his chest. After calling out to him and getting no answer, she was scared for sure. What was happening here?!

Heart Pain

Savannah kept asking her dad what was wrong, but he couldn’t speak. He only made strange noises. She wondered if he could breathe and noticed he clutched his chest. This was frightening, but her parents had told her what to do in such a situation, so she was prepared.

Preparation

Savannah wasn’t allowed to use a cell phone and didn’t know where her dad kept his. However, her parents had a wall-mounted phone in their kitchen for these types of situations. Still, it was so high on the wall that she wasn’t sure she could reach it!

The Decision

Savannah pulled up a kitchen chair and stood on it to reach the phone. She knew it was for emergencies only, but this was one! Overall, she wanted to grab the phone and give it to her dad, but he couldn’t talk, and the cord didn’t reach. Therefore, she swallowed hard and dialed 911 herself!

The Beginning of the Famous Call

After she dialed the number her parents taught, she knew that someone would come on the line and help her. However, Savannah had no idea that this might be the most hilarious and famous recorded 911 call. Still, her parents taught her what to expect, and she was ready.

Education

Even small children can be taught what to do by calling 911. If they can’t speak well, the dispatcher can determine the address (for landlines) and send help. Savannah’s parents told her what to do, saying she should turn to a trustworthy adult. However, no one else was there!

Meant to Be

Jason had been a 911 operator for 11 years and had never spoken with someone that young. He was shocked at how calm and well-spoken Savannah was and realized that he had to ask appropriate questions to keep her calm and tell her what to do.

His Own Experience

Jason had gone through a similar experience as a child and wanted to prevent Savannah from being traumatized. It took place in 1990 when he was 7 years old, and he was still upset about the situation and what had happened to him that fateful night.

Why He Became an Operator

After Jason’s experience, he went to see a psychologist to help him with his trauma and issues. The ordeal made him decide to be a dispatcher as an adult because he wanted to help others in similar situations. It was a beautiful thing, and Savannah was grateful for it, too.

His Story

In the 1990s, Jason was playing with toys, and his mother then collapsed. She was on the floor and wasn’t moving. He panicked because his dad was working late. He knew to call 911, but he made a mistake. He vowed then and there that Savannah wouldn’t do the same.

The Facts

Jason had to find out what her dad’s symptoms were. Savannah asked her dad what was wrong. Though it was hard, he was able to tell her that he couldn’t breathe and was experiencing heart pains. Then, Savannah told Jason everything her father had said.

Her Upsetting Thought

Jason told Savannah that help was coming, and she told her dad to keep him updated. However, Jason had to keep her calm because she got upset. She realized that they were wearing pajamas because they had a movie night earlier. She worried that her dad’s shirt wasn’t appropriate now!

Politeness

Savannah decided to be mannerly and polite, going to her room to change clothes. However, Jason told her that she had to stay with her dad until the paramedics arrived in case something else happened. Even though she was young, she understood and stayed with her father.

Late Night Talk

The call transcript indicates that Jason and Savannah were chit-chatting and getting to know each other. Jason realized that Savannah had to stay on the phone to let him know what was happening. He started talking to help her pass the time and forget about her trouble for a while.

Monitoring Dad’s Health

Jason found a good balance between keeping Savannah chatty, calm, and interested. He also focused on helping her monitor her father’s health until the paramedics arrived. He had to be careful so that he didn’t scare the poor girl because she had to stay cooperative!

LouLou and Movies

Everyone who heard the transcript was delighted for her to introduce Jason to LouLou. She ended up talking about her dog for quite a while and explained the movie they were watching. Jason hadn’t heard of “Frozen” before, but he liked hearing her discuss it while updating him on her dad.

Jason’s Story

What happened to Jason? As a boy, the paramedics showed up at his home to help his mom. However, he was traumatized by it because no one instructed him to unlock the door. They had to shout for him to get it open, and that scared him above all else.

Paralyzed by Fear

This caused 7-year-old Jason to become paralyzed with fear, and he couldn’t open the door. Once he got going, he couldn’t find the key, and his mother was unconscious. In fact, the paramedics slammed the glass out to gain entry, and Jason never forgot the horrifying moment.

Crucial Moments

As the paramedics came crashing into the building quickly, the 7-year-old had felt horrible and shocked because he couldn’t do a simple task. It cost his mom many crucial seconds. Now, Jason couldn’t let something so traumatizing happen to this 5-year-old girl!

Not a Minute More

At some point, Jason asked Savannah if she could unlock her front door to be sure. She said she could, and Jason breathed a sigh of relief. In a flashback, he realized that the paramedics got his mom to the hospital and saved her. Still, they said if it had taken longer, she could have died.

Holding the Line

Savannah stayed on the phone with Jason for about 10 minutes until the paramedics got to the house. She bravely updated the dispatcher about her dad’s condition, and Jason supported her through this scary time. The only time she put the phone down was to unlock the front door!

The Reporters

Emergency services finally arrived and took her dad to the hospital. One stayed with the little girl until they could find and contact her mom. This paramedic was also impressed at how composed the girl was. She said that Savannah was a great kid and told reporters that she got the dog out of the way for the paramedics!

The Dog Whisperer

The paramedic, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that they were lucky Savannah had unlocked her door. Though LouLou wasn’t too much trouble, she did bark quite a bit. However, Savannah decided to keep the dog in check so that the paramedics could do their job!

The Choice

Savannah already knew how LouLou was about new people, so she grabbed him and held him away. That way, the dog couldn’t interfere or get under their feet while they were saving her dad. The paramedic even said that she was sitting and comforting her dog, staying brave the whole time.

Go with Dad

Savannah decided to go to the hospital with her father. She wanted to be close. The paramedics told her that she couldn’t wear her pajamas, so she actually got the chance to change clothes. Therefore, Savannah picked her outfit, and they left!

Prepare for the Worst

Jason finally hung up the call, knowing that Savannah was being cared for by the paramedics. However, he still wondered how it all ended? Was her father all right? He knew she was a brave 5-year-old and had never encountered anyone like her. He hoped for the best.

Close Call

Jason couldn’t help thinking about the close call with his own mother. He had been very lucky to ensure that the paramedics arrived and broke in to get to her. However, he also realized that time was crucial, and he didn’t help matters. Hopefully, Savannah’s situation wasn’t as terrifying.

Everyday Heroes

Thankfully, Savannah didn’t have to be alone. Jason and the paramedics were with her each step of her journey. She was level-headed and brave, but dispatchers and EMS are heroes because they respond to thousands of calls like hers each day.

The Right Thing

Because of Jason, Savannah helped her dad by staying calm and listening to the adult on the other end. Jason had done what he could to keep her in control. Instead of dismissing her fears and worries, he welcomed them. It was likely fate that he received that call!

The Hero

When Savannah arrived at the hospital with the paramedics, word had already spread about her good deed. Therefore, she got a warm welcome before she even saw her father. She stayed brave, and one nurse said that many children can’t stay calm or know what to do.

A Nurse’s Advice

The nurse went on to say that everyone should prepare and teach their children for those situations. If something like that happens, everyone can do what Savannah did. She’s a great example of good parenting; she saved her dad’s life!

Staying with Her Dad

Savannah decided to stay with her dad as much as she could. Whenever she had to leave his side, she brightened the lives of the other people and nurses. She was a passionate and positive trooper, and everyone who met her was impressed with her actions.

The Outcome

When Savannah’s mom heard what happened, she came back from the business trip to see her husband and daughter. Everything turned out well for her dad because of Savannah’s own level-headed and articulate nature. Savannah truly saved the day!

Full Recovery

Savannah’s dad has made a full recovery and tells everyone about his daughter saving his life. Savannah’s experience was a positive one, so she wasn’t worried or fearful and is happy for her dad to be home. Still, everyone feels safe knowing that she can call 911 if necessary!

What She Thought

Savanna later went on to say about the experience: “The paramedics were really really nice, especially the lady and so was the man on the phone.” She doesn’t consider herself particularly brave, since she thought she was just doing what she was supposed to do. She feels very grateful to everyone who helped her.

Her Job One Day

A local reporter even asked Savannah if the experience made her consider working for 911 Emergency Systems or being a paramedic one day herself. Savannah said that she was probably more interested in becoming a dog trainer, especially so she could teach LouLou not to bark so much!

Not The Only One

Another story involved a Florida man who can thank his toddler for saving his life by making an accidental phone call during a very opportune time. So what happened?

Hang-Up Call

One day at about 10:45am, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 hang-up call that came from a Spring Hill apartment complex in Florida. The officers, including Deputy Nathan Kent, shared that these types of hang-up calls do happen often, and are frequently from toddlers accidentally making the calls from their parents’ phones.

Following Protocol

While hang up calls happen often, officers will usually take things seriously and still respond to the call, just in case. This time, that protocol would truly prove to be the right way to go about things.

He Noticed Something Odd

Deputy Kent was following standard procedure and responded to the call when he noticed something strange in the apartment complex. He saw a toddler that wasn’t wearing any clothes walking around the complex’s parking lot without any adult supervision.

He Was Concerned

Deputy Kent told CW44: “Having a kid myself, I was more concerned, ‘Hey, why is there an unsupervised kid?’ And that’s when I started looking around, and I saw the apartment complex door open with a bunch of kid toys.”

Checking The Situation

Kent took the child into the home and tried calling out to the child’s parents. There was no response, but soon after, Deputy Kent noticed a man passed out unconscious on the floor.

A Terrifying Moment

Deputy Kent quickly checked the man’s vitals and found that he had no pulse and was not breathing. This was a scary moment indeed, and he knew that he had to act fast to try to maybe save the man.

Acting Fast

Deputy Kent sprang into acting and began chest compressions, and thankfully the man started breathing again not long after. He was immediately taken to the hospital by paramedics so that he could receive full treatment and care.

He Was Lucky

According to the report detailing the account, “hospital staff advised the man was having a medical episode but would make a full recovery.” Everything had lined up just right for the man to be taken to the hospital in time to save his life.

An Amazing Coincidence

Deputy Kent said that it was incredibly lucky that the toddler was messing around on the phone and ended up accidentally triggering a 911 call. This “accident” ended up saving his father’s life.

Accidentally Pressed

Kent said: “The phone number, we looked later on, you could see that [the child] tried typing the password and it had 30 attempts that was the wrong password. It was probably accidental that he hit the button.”

Teaching Moment

Kent also shared that he thinks this should be a teachable moment for many parents. He said: “My biggest thing is teaching your kids what to do in times like this, saying, ‘Hey, if something happens, go to a neighbor, get my phone, call somebody.’ Try to have some kind of setup just like a fire drill.”

It Saves Lives

Teaching children, even toddlers, what to do in these types of situations can mean the difference between saving their parents lives or not. Take Tamyaa Alexander’s story for example. Her 2 year old Serenity ended up saving her mother’s life.

Suddenly Fainted

Alexander, who is from Macon, Georgia, was at her mother’s house when out of nowhere, she fainted. It was not clear what caused her to faint, but in the moment, her 2 year old Serenity was able to call 911 for help.

Ready For It

Alexander told WHAS11: “I didn’t know what to expect from my baby. Seeing my baby being so smart and intelligent… knowing what to do when something is going on with her mom, it really touches my heart.”

A Similar Incident

Yet another situation, a 3 year old called the police when he saw his mother fall unconscious. Thomas Boffey called 999, which is the UK’s version of 911, after his mother fell down the stairs.

Educational TV

The boy knew what to do thanks to having previously watched a TV show called Robocar Poli, a South Korean kid’s animated TV show that features an ambulance, police car, and fire engine.

Saving Her Life

According to the Independent, Thomas’s mother shared: “He climbed up onto my windowsill in the living room to get my phone and he managed to the operator. They couldn’t understand what he was on about but directed him to the police.” This ended up saving her life.