Meet 'Little Jerry': Mequon squirrel saved by man's quick thinking and 'mini chest compressions'

 

MEQUON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- When Chuck Seidl began working for a sewage company in April, he didn't know that just three months later, he would be adding "squirrel saver" to his resume.

Seidl and his coworker, Jared Spangenberg, had started their work week on Monday, Sept. 12 in a Mequon cul-de-sac when suddenly their morning took an unexpected turn.

Two squirrels were "laying on the ground" drenched, following the previous night's heavy rainfall. Spangenberg spotted the rodents first and quickly radioed Seidl for help.

"He's like, 'hey...they look like they're really hurt or they drowned," Seidl recalled. "I'm just like, oh my goodness Jared, what should we do?"

The pair quickly sprung into action, wrapping the squirrels in old T-shirts and placing them in a warm box.

"All of a sudden, one kind of makes this weird shriek and the other one, all of a sudden he's dead," Seidl said. 

That's when Seidl knew he had to take it one step further for the remaining squirrel. 

"So I grabbed him and I started giving him little mini chest compressions," Seidl said. "All of a sudden, I patted him on the back and he spit up a little water and he started breathing again."

It was a life-saving breath for the squirrel, now lovingly dubbed "Little Jerry," and a sigh of relief for Seidl.

Because the two had to resume working, they left Little Jerry inside of the box in their truck. By the time the work day was over, Seidl said it was too late to bring it to any animal rescues.

That's when he decided to bring the squirrel home and keep an eye on him there.

Now, 11 days later, Seidl said Little Jerry is healthy and well on his way to the road of recovery.

"He found a tree in my backyard and he resides there to this day," Seidl said. "I give him water, some peanuts, granola bars. That's his big thing. He loves granola bars."