One terrified sound in the middle of the night gave a Nebraska man just enough time to escape a house fire with his life.
The source turned out to be his dog, Ellie Rose, who woke him moments before flames destroyed his family's home in Wahoo, turning an ordinary night into a dramatic rescue.
What happened?
According to WOWT, after arriving home and going straight to sleep, Daniel Naillieux was startled awake around midnight by a noise from Ellie Rose. He smelled smoke immediately, and when he opened the bedroom door, he found black smoke filling the area.
"It was like a ... she was terrified of something," Naillieux said of the sound she made.
Realizing after only a few steps into the hallway that "we're not gonna make it out of this house," he grabbed Ellie Rose and escaped through a bedroom window onto the roof on the side away from the flames.
Though the house was a total loss, no one was injured. Naillieux called 911 while climbing out, and within three minutes a police officer arrived and used a ladder from the side of the house to help him and Ellie Rose get down safely.
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Naillieux said Ellie Rose is why he survived, adding that he likely would have stayed asleep as smoke spread through the house if she had not barked.
What's being done?
Saunders County's victim assistance program is covering temporary lodging for Naillieux and his family, including his children, who were away when the fire happened.
It is also accepting monetary donations to support the family's recovery.
As Naillieux put it, the losses feel overwhelming: "I'm not okay. I lost everything I own in that house. I have a single pair of clothes. And I went and bought [these] clothes. I got these boots. I have nothing left."
Naillieux said, "I've never been more thankful to have a dog in my life. Because I am telling you, if she wouldn't have barked, I would not have [woken] up."
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