Girls Save 81-Year-Old Stuck Under Truck in Snow

Man rescued after falling, ending up underneath his truck in Portsmouth, NH

An 81-year-old man slipped, fell and ended up stuck underneath his truck in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Emergency crews say he's still alive, thanks to three young girls playing in a snowbank nearby.

It's safe to say, Gerald Buehrer is tough.

"I went to Vietnam, came back," he told NECN.

Buehrer has survived war and more than a half a century's worth of New England winters, but last week's storm almost got the best of him.

"The snow was three feet where I was, my butt was down in that far in the snow," Buehrer said.

He was trudging through the snow to his truck to get to a doctor's appointment, he slipped, slid underneath it and couldn't get up.

"I kept going like this, reaching up as high as I could, and yelling," he said while waving his hat in the air.

Buehrer says no cars went by and for a while he wasn't sure anyone would find him.

"I probably would have froze to death," Buehrer said.

But soon enough, three young girls playing nearby heard Mr. Buehrer's screams for help.

"I went over and checked with Samantha and Savannah and we saw Mr. Buehrer stuck in the snow," said 11-year-old Sydney who lives one street over from Buehrer.

"They tried to lift me but they couldn't," Buehrer said.

Sydney, her 9-year-old sister Samantha, and their friend Savannah ran to get the adults.

"He was really cold and we just wanted to get him inside," Sydney said.

Portsmouth Fire Capt. Richard Murphy says Buehrer was stuck for an hour and half before the girls' mother called 911 and crews helped him up, and inside to get warm.

"Because of the conditions outside hypothermia is always a big concern," Murphy said.

As for the three girls, he says they're the reason Mr. Buehrer will survive yet another winter on the Seacoast.

"What they did was absolutely outstanding," Murphy said. "They probably saved a life."

"You can't explain how thankful I was that they finally came," Buehrer said.

"It feels good to know I saved a life but I am more happy to know he is okay," said Samantha.

Buehrer hasn't seen the girls since the incident, but he made a special trip to the store to buy them boxes of candy and is sending flowers to their parents to say thank you.

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