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September 13. 2012 1:30AM
Brandon Loyd, 10, went for help on Tuesday night, when his grandfather, Harold Parker, became dizzy while fishing at Turkey Pond in Concord. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader)
Boy, 10, races in the dark to get help for grandpa
Brandon Loyd, 10, went for help on Tuesday night, when his grandfather, Harold Parker, became dizzy while fishing at Turkey Pond in Concord. (Thomas Roy/Union Leader)
MANCHESTER — Realizing that his grandfather’s life could depend on it, a 10-year-old city boy ran the better part of a mile through a wooded area Tuesday night to get help for the stricken 72-year-old who lay near a secluded spot on a lake in rural Hopkinton.
Brandon Loyd was off from school on election day, and his grandfather, Harold Parker of Manchester, decided to take the boy fishing.
After catching a few hornpout, and with dusk overtaking the woods around Hopkinton Lake, the pair began the trek out of the woods to head back to Manchester.
Suddenly Parker was stricken with dizziness and couldn’t continue to talk.
“I sat on a rock for about 10 minutes and I said to Brandon, ‘I’ve got to go lay down,’” Parker said. “I was laying there waiting for it to pass but it hung in there.”
Reluctantly, Parker said yes when the boy asked if he should go for help. “I knew it was more than a half mile and it was dark, but my father and grandfather died of a heart attack that came on instantly,” Parker said.
Brandon raced off through the woods to a road with houses on it, but found nobody answering the door at the first house he tried.
He went to another house, found a resident there who called 911. She then accompanied the boy back to the spot where his grandfather had been stricken.
“For him to offer and then to do that, as far as I’m concerned it was a really brave deed,” Parker said. “I’m proud of him, I have every confidence in the world in this boy, he’s an extremely good kid.”
Parker was taken by Hopkinton ambulance crews to Concord Hospital. He was examined and sent home with instructions to see his doctor about the symptoms.
Wednesday morning, Parker cleaned his fish and made plans to have his son drive him back up to Hopkinton to pick up his truck and pay a visit.
The woman who called police not only took Brandon back to the spot where his grandfather had been stricken, but stayed with them until an ambulance crew arrived.
“I am going to go out there and get my truck, I definitely want to thank her, I want her to know how much I appreciate what she did for Brandon and myself,” he said.
Bill Smith may be reached at wsmith@unionleader.com.
Brandon Loyd was off from school on election day, and his grandfather, Harold Parker of Manchester, decided to take the boy fishing.
After catching a few hornpout, and with dusk overtaking the woods around Hopkinton Lake, the pair began the trek out of the woods to head back to Manchester.
Suddenly Parker was stricken with dizziness and couldn’t continue to talk.
“I sat on a rock for about 10 minutes and I said to Brandon, ‘I’ve got to go lay down,’” Parker said. “I was laying there waiting for it to pass but it hung in there.”
Reluctantly, Parker said yes when the boy asked if he should go for help. “I knew it was more than a half mile and it was dark, but my father and grandfather died of a heart attack that came on instantly,” Parker said.
Brandon raced off through the woods to a road with houses on it, but found nobody answering the door at the first house he tried.
He went to another house, found a resident there who called 911. She then accompanied the boy back to the spot where his grandfather had been stricken.
“For him to offer and then to do that, as far as I’m concerned it was a really brave deed,” Parker said. “I’m proud of him, I have every confidence in the world in this boy, he’s an extremely good kid.”
Parker was taken by Hopkinton ambulance crews to Concord Hospital. He was examined and sent home with instructions to see his doctor about the symptoms.
Wednesday morning, Parker cleaned his fish and made plans to have his son drive him back up to Hopkinton to pick up his truck and pay a visit.
The woman who called police not only took Brandon back to the spot where his grandfather had been stricken, but stayed with them until an ambulance crew arrived.
“I am going to go out there and get my truck, I definitely want to thank her, I want her to know how much I appreciate what she did for Brandon and myself,” he said.
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Bill Smith may be reached at wsmith@unionleader.com.
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