BOSTON (WHDH) - Eric Dahl’s daughter Madeline was enjoying a day off from school Monday at the New England Aquarium.
Things took a turn when she decided to go straight to the top of the giant ocean tank, holding her beloved stuffed animal.
“Then I noticed she was holding her baby, whose named ‘Baby,’ over the edge and I went up to go grab it,” said Eric. “And as I was doing that, she just let it go. And it fell right into the water.”
“Once Madeline realized ‘Baby’ was in the water, and then her big brother Teddy realized it too, they were just inconsolable… It was like the worst thing that ever happened to them.”
That’s when something amazing happened. Carolina the turtle decided to give Baby a ride.
Eric’s friend had just enough time to capture an image of Baby on Carolina’s back. The family continued the visit while Eric was unsure what would happen next.
“I snuck away and I said ‘do you guys happen to have that Baby that fell in the water?'” said Eric. “I’m sorry about that. And they were super nice about it, very professional and they were like’ ‘Oh yea we got that baby, we’re sanitizing it now. We’ll bring it down to ya.’”
Aquarium manager Dan Denaro says they’ve seen it all.
“People have dropped like wedding rings into the tank, and obviously that’s an expensive thing to lose, but also could be harmful to animals,” said Denaro. “So, whenever these things do happen, we really want to get right on top of it.”
Thankfully, Baby stayed afloat and Denaro says he was able to fish her out with his hands.
Baby was reunited with a suddenly, very happy child.
“She was just ecstatic,” said Eric. “…Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. She’s sleeping right now with Baby.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)