Off-duty Hernando deputy saves 5-year-old after family dogs attack him in Weeki Wachee
An off-duty reserve deputy helped save a five-year-old boy after a dog attack in Weeki Wachee.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office says on July 11, a five-year-old boy was bitten by his family's dogs and had life-threatening injuries.
RELATED: Weeki Wachee boy attacked by family’s three great danes: ‘Horrific situation’
The backstory:
Deputy Stephen Murphy works full-time for Hernando County Fire Rescue.
"Been with Hernando County Fire Rescue since 2016," Murphy said. "Started there as a reserve there actually, or kind of like a volunteer, and then became full-time firefighter paramedic in 2017."
Hernando County Sheriff's Deputy Stephen Murphy
He's also a reserve deputy on the SWAT team with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Last week, Murphy was off the clock at his home in Weeki Wachee.
"Received a knock on the door from two young boys who told me that their younger brother had been attacked by a dog," Murphy said.
Murphy says the two boys saw his patrol car in his driveway, hoping he could help.
He saw their mother in the road holding her five-year-old son.
The sheriff's office says their mom heard screaming and ran outside to see the dogs pulling at her son. She says she yelled at the dogs, which then ran away.
Dig deeper:
The sheriff's office says the little boy had injuries to his head, neck and body.
"His injuries were pretty severe," Murphy said. "The worst of the worst was needing treatment very quickly."
With his background as a paramedic, Murphy knew he had to act fast. He ran to his patrol car, grabbed his medical kit and started first aid until on-duty first responders got there.
"I feel God put me there at the right time and just in time for that boy and for his needs," Murphy said.
The boy was airlifted to a trauma center in Tampa.
Murphy says this was different from his usual calls.
"It was just more of an emotional connection, having known them prior to the incident," Murphy said. "So I just had more of a, like, emotional connection, just wanted to make sure that he was doing well."
The sheriff's office says the boy is now walking and beginning a long recovery.
"I've been contacting them every single day, just trying to follow up on him," Murphy said. "Dad sent me a photo of him in the hospital the other day, and it brought tears to my eyes."
The boy's family has asked to keep his identity private.
His mother told deputies that their three dogs had never shown aggression towards the children before.
What's next:
The dogs are being held by Hernando County Animal Services for a 10-day quarantine.
FOX 13 reached out to Animal Services for an update on the investigation and is waiting to hear back.
The Source: Information for this report came from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.