They weren’t anticipating anything urgent; the day was just getting started.
The terminal was mostly empty, but out of nowhere, they heard a child crying. Scanning the area, Janet spotted a young boy—no older than five—standing near the gate, looking lost and terrified.
Janet instantly sensed that something was wrong even before she reached him. This wasn’t just a wandering child—there was fear in his eyes.
“Hi there, sweetheart, are you alright?” she asked softly.
The boy didn’t respond at first. Then, in a barely audible whisper, he muttered something she couldn’t quite catch.
What was evident, however, was that the boy was completely alone. No parents, no guardians—just him.
Max, trained for search and rescue, immediately went on alert. Though he typically didn’t do well around kids, something changed. He began circling the child, eventually nudging his small hand gently with his nose.
Max could sense the distress. He stayed close, trying to offer comfort the only way he knew how—by sitting beside the child and giving small nudges to reassure him.
Moments later, Max began to bark urgently, as if signaling Janet that something more serious was happening.
“It’s okay, honey,” she said kindly. “You can tell me what’s wrong. Max and I are here to help you.”
The boy suddenly burst into loud sobs and blurted, “My mommy won’t wake up. I kept calling her, but she didn’t open her eyes.”
Janet’s heart sank. She asked him if he knew the way home and pleaded for him to show her.
He nodded, and they began walking together, Max by their side. Janet radioed in for backup, warning of a potential medical emergency.
They reached the boy’s house not long after. Inside, they found his mother unconscious in her bed. She was still breathing—just barely.
Paramedics arrived just in time. They administered emergency care, saying if they’d arrived minutes later, the woman might not have survived.
It was determined she had gone into a diabetic coma during the night.
Janet had initially thought the child was simply lost, but Max had sensed something deeper. His instincts had picked up on the gravity of the moment—and thanks to that, a life was saved.