One day, 14-year-old Daiton McMillion and his brother 12-year-old Rylen arrived back at their Texas home after a family outing.
With some hours left in the day, the pair went exploring in the woods nearby to their home.
During their walk, they came across an animal burrow that had collapsed, yet wasn’t quite empty:
“They spotted a raccoon around 2 to 3 feet down in the hole. Only his head and front legs were exposed,” DrayMcMillon, the boys father told The Dodo.
“The boys immediately called me and told me what they had found,” the raccoon was buried alive in the burrow.
It wasn’t clear how long the racoon had been stuck for, but it was clear that the boys had found him in time to help.
“When I arrived, the raccoon was gasping for air,” McMillon said. “It was very sad to see this animal struggle. My boys were very adamant that we had to save the animal.”
The trio carefully dug the raccoon out using their hands and a shovel, and then called Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center who sent round some assistance.
Eventually, the poor raccoon was finally free:
The raccoon was found to be healthy and uninjured and eventually walked away from where he was trapped back into freedom.
“I could see the sense of accomplishment in my boys. They were very excited that the animal was released safely.”
“When we got back to the house, they shared their excitement with me,” McMillon said. “I could tell this would be something they would never forget.”