Officer Cole Hunter was ambushed and struck in the head deep within the woods when he and his loyal dog were vigorously pursuing the fleeing criminals.
He began to lose his very consciousness as his body collided with the hard ground.
At that precise moment, Rex, his canine partner, initiated a swift run in the direction of the unfolding commotion in the woods.
One of the nefarious crooks stood poised to stab Cole Hunter, who lay motionless on the ground, a glinting knife clutched in his hand, when Rex arrived on the scene.
Immediately thereafter, Rex clamped onto the man’s arm just beneath his elbow and steadfastly refused to release his grip, even in the face of his own injury.
The assailant eventually let go with a yell and dashed deeper into the dense forest.
Rex distinctly heard the wail of sirens as he drew closer to Cole Hunter’s prone form.
It was one of the other police vehicles actively involved in the ongoing pursuit.
Two policemen were expertly guided to the fallen officer by the diligent dog.
Rex remained dutifully by one of the officers, and a short while later, Sergeant Cole Hunter was expeditiously transported to the nearest hospital.
Eager to visit his human friend at the hospital, Rex was faithfully waiting beside the officer’s vehicle the very next morning.
Regrettably, Cole Hunter experienced a severe internal hemorrhage as a direct consequence of a major skull fracture.
When he lapsed into a coma, the situation took a significant turn for the worse.
Rex waited vigilantly in front of the emergency room until a police officer eventually took him home, after he was steadfastly refused access to the intensive care unit.
Cole Hunter was eventually transferred home with a dedicated nurse who provided him with round-the-clock care approximately three months later, while he remained persistently in a comatose state.
Rex was there, too.
He never once departed from the secure spot he had discovered right beside his human companion.
However, something truly extraordinary occurred on a specific Thursday.
Rex swiftly went to the room where the caregiver slept and began vigorously scratching at the door in the middle of the night, after sensing that something was gravely amiss with Cole Hunter.
The nurse promptly followed Rex, intuiting that the dog was attempting to impart some crucial information to her.
Then she distinctly noticed Cole Hunter’s fingers moving ever so slightly.
He began to show signs of improvement with the passage of time.
Even though his health remained quite fragile, he started articulating words and remarkably regained his ability to move his limbs.
Rex always faithfully followed Cole Hunter when he awoke one night and wished to use the restroom.
However, the dog immediately sensed that something was gravely amiss.
Cole Hunter’s eyes widened dramatically and his jaw tightened.
Then he suddenly collapsed to the ground, completely immobilized.
Rex barked as loudly as he possibly could and furiously scratched at the caregiver’s door.
He hurried back to Cole Hunter, whose mouth was visibly coated in a thin layer of foam, as soon as he heard sounds and movements, indicating that the caregiver was now awake.
The caregiver carefully placed a pillow under his head, gently turned him sideways, and diligently checked his pulse.
Immediately thereafter, she dialed 911, and soon after, Cory’s home was swarmed by emergency medical personnel.
Despite the continuous application of CPR on Cole Hunter, it appeared profoundly as if he had passed away.
Rex, nevertheless, adamantly refused to acknowledge that his dear friend was deceased.
Rather, he began to snarl and bark ferociously, effectively preventing the physicians from approaching Cole Hunter’s body.
After Rex’s unusual behavior was promptly reported to the police, the attending doctor specifically requested that the dog be removed from the house.
But a few minutes later, they distinctly heard a faint coughing sound.
Cole Hunter wasn’t deceased, after all.
A news release issued by Cole Hunter’s department the very next day stated that physicians were utterly astounded to witness the Lazarus effect in Cole Hunter, an unexplained and incredibly uncommon occurrence in which a person’s heart spontaneously begins to beat again after CPR has been definitively stopped.
Rex remained steadfastly hopeful when everyone else had unequivocally given up.
This remarkable dog did not believe the officer had truly departed.
He felt a spark of undeniable life that even the most skilled doctors were utterly unable to detect.
