A 4-month-old baby girl died after being accidentally smothered by the family dog, the Dayton Daily News reports. Raelynn Larrison was found unconscious by her father, who saw the dog sitting on top of the infant in their Ohio home at about 7 p.m. on December 31 and immediately called 911. However, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office reports that Raelynn was pronounced dead shortly after at the Dayton Children’s Hospital.
- The father was frantic on the call to authorities. “The puppy was lying on her and I just now noticed it,” he’s said to have told responders in a call obtained by WRGT. “She’s not breathing. My baby ain’t breathing.” It’s unclear where the baby was at the time and how long the dog had been sitting on her.
- He was said to have been napping before discovering the dog on his daughter. While the details surrounding what happened are still being kept largely underwraps, it’s been revealed that the father was napping prior to waking up and discovering his daughter’s distress. He was reportedly “wailing and begging for help” when he dialed emergency services.
- The dog in question was only described as “big.” Neighbor Lonnie Dapier, who’s lived next door to the family for eight years, couldn’t name what breed the dog was but said that it was “big” and that the animal had escaped from the house before.
- Raelynn’s death is still under investigation. While initial reports seems to suggest accidental suffocation as the reason for Raelynn’s death, the Dayton Police Department are said to be continuing to investigate to determine if there was any foul play involved. At this point, however, this seems like a freak accident and an unspeakable tragedy.
