National Guard Soldier Carries Stranded Baby Through Snow After Historic Storm
CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. (CBS Local) -- A National Guard soldier is being hailed as a hero after he carried a stranded baby to safety during the record-setting snowstorm that pounded the Southeast.
Sgt. Donovan McPherson, 27, was escorting emergency responders Sunday south of Lenoir, North Carolina, when crews received a call for help. A tree had fallen on a power line, cutting electricity to the house where a family with a small baby had been stuck for three days.
"The baby was recently sick," McPherson told WRAL. "They were worried the baby would get sick again."
National Guard Lt. Col. Matthew DeVivo said the baby needed to get across town to Hudson, North Carolina for medical help, but the family couldn't drive due to heavy snowfall in Caldwell County.
McPherson carried the baby down a snowy road in a car seat wrapped in extra blankets to keep the child warm and protected. A photo released by the North Carolina National Guard shows the heroic act by the soldier.
He said the mother was very grateful for the help.
"She just thanked us," he said.
The solider said the family is now staying with a relative who does have electricity at their home in Hudson.
McPherson is with the 883rd Engineer Company from Winston-Salem. He's been a guardsman for 11 years and is also a student at UNC Greensboro.
