A toddler had to be rescued from an antique barrel after getting stuck for several hours at his grandparents' house over the weekend.
The 2-year-old from Tennessee was safely removed from his cylindrical prison thanks to effort from doctors and firefighters.
And the photos are everything you think they'd be.
Lance Strubing said his son had just finished dinner and was playing.
Then he heard a calm little voice say:
"Help please."
This came from Dorian, Strubing's 2-year-old son who was trapped in an antique barrel. The boy had squatted down in the barrel and couldn't stand to get himself free.
Strubing said:
"We tried to get him out for about 10 minutes or so. I tried putting the thing on its side, trying to get him to shift his legs and whatnot, but we just couldn't get him back out."
When all their efforts failed, the Strubings had to try taking him to the emergency room. There doctors took X-Rays to figure out how the boy was positioned in the barrel.
Then firefighters were called in to save the day.
As Dorian clung to a stuffed bear given to him by the hospital, the crew from Fire Department Engine 2 of Portland, Tennessee looked to cut the bottom out from the barrel to allow the child to straighten his legs and free himself.
Strubing held the barrel as the firefighters worked to free the toddler. They carefully used a power saw, screwdrivers, and hammers to pry the bottom of the barrel off.
Kelly Strubing, Dorian's mom, recounted:
"When his feet were able to be released through the bottom of the barrel and I pulled him out the top it was pure relief!"
"He just clung to me, it was the best hug I've ever gotten and I'll never forget that moment."
Isn't that just like a toddler?
Dorian wasn't injured in the process, and was given the green light by doctors after the incident. They even provided him a popsicle for being so brave.
As for the barrel, the Strubings are keeping it as a memento for Dorian when he gets older. They even had the firefighters sign it with messages of encouragement for Dorian.
Now that it's all over, it's much easier to laugh at.
Doctors and firefighters have plenty of experience with strange issues that require a bit of help. Now the ones in Portland, Tennessee can add "boy in a barrel" to their repertoire.
