It’s been a while since we’ve had a hero spotlight on the blog, but there are no shortage of heroes! There is a very special hero in the spotlight today, but not the furry kind.
Two days ago, on Sunday, March 2nd, 28-year-old Erika Owen was out on her usual Sunday morning walk with her dog, Kairos, in Wichita, Kansas, when something went wrong.
Another dog was loose and Kairos got away from Erika. The dog and Kairos got into a scuffle, running to the middle of the icy pond near them. Witnesses, who were on the other side of the pond, say that Erika was yelling at Kairos to come back but he wouldn’t. This is when they say that saw her start to cross the pond’s ice to get to her dog.
The witness, Aaron Frazier, realized he didn’t have his phone with him and ran back to his apartment a few hundred yards away to call the police. When he got back, with his girlfriend in tow, Erika had fallen in the water along with Kairos. He and his girlfriend wanted to help but the 911 Operator said help was on the way and insisted they not put themselves in danger.
Tragically, though first responders got there only five minutes later, it was too late. Erika and her dog, Karios, did not survive.
It is incredibly touching, and tragic, that Erika had such a devotion and bond to her dog. Her selflessness is truly heroic, and she greatly deserves this spotlight. May she and Kairos rest in peace, and leave a legacy of a true, loving bond.