Lucas Cardona was taking a curve onto the westbound Indiana Toll Road when his semi-trailer rolled over. Frightened by the crash, his Dalmatian mix Finn, took off running.
The accident occurred April 20, 2018. The driver, who feared he had lost his 6-month-old dog forever, recalls his immediate concerns.
“My first thought was about him,” said Cardona. “I knew that I was okay and I needed to find him.”
According to NBC Chicago, Porter emergency officials launched an immediate community-wide search. Unfortunately, after several days of searching, Cardona had to return to work. Nonetheless, Porter EMT Mary Esserman continued to look for Finn.
“I’ve got three dogs of my own and to think of losing them in a situation like this and how scared they would be, it broke my heart. So I had to do something about it,” she said.
Esserman was able to find Finn four days after the crash. On April 28, 2018, the driver was reunited with his pup, whom Cardona says is like a son to him. Before they could be together in person, Finn was able to recognize the sound of his voice through a phone call.
“I set the phone down on the ground and Lucas was yelling for him and he came over and licked the phone,” Esserman said.
According to Porter EMS Director Ann Brandl, Esserman’s good deed is a direct reflection on the department’s work ethic as a whole.
“I don’t know. It was just something in my heart I had to do,” Esserman said.