Maine 6-year-old Googles ‘poliz’ and saves dad during medical emergency

A 6-year-old girl from Maine is being credited with sharp thinking and swift action that very well may have saved her dad’s life a few weeks ago. 

Kyle Semrau came home the morning of April 12 after an overnight shift feeling light-headed, reported the Seacoast Online. He told his wife he would be laying low for the day, joined by his 6-year-old daughter, Macie, and his 4-year-old son, Caleb. 

On a normal day, Macie would have been at school, but that particular morning she had refused to even get dressed for school, so she stayed home. Turns out her unexplained want to stay home was for the best. 

Later in the day, Semrau collapsed from a medical event that caused him to slip in and out of consciousness. Macie learned her dad was in trouble when she heard him yelling, according to the Seacoast Online. 

Macie and Caleb went to the basement where their father was and Macie alerted the authorities. 

In a moment while Semrau was conscious, Macie asked her dad for his phone passcode so she could unlock the device. She logged in, opened the browser, and Googled the local police department. 

“I pressed this button and typed Eliot Police, and I hit call,” Macie told Boston 25 News. “I don’t want to say this, but I thought he was going to die.”

Macie relayed the relevant information, including their address, to Judy Smith, the Eliot Police Department’s administrative assistant who answered the phone. 

“It’s insane,” Semrau told Boston 25 News. “I still have it saved. If you open up my browser [that’s] the way that it is spelled, ‘Elliot poliz.’ When I asked her what she pushed, you see the call button, which actually goes right to the dispatcher here in town.”

The police arrived two minutes after Macie called, according to the Seacoast Online.

“It sounds like the moon and the stars aligned,” Eliot Police Chief Elliot Moya told the Seacoast Online. 

Semrau’s medical emergency stemmed from issues with his sinuses, which led to difficulty breathing, according to Seacoast Online. He is now home and doing well, according to a Facebook post. 

“If I can say anything about this whole experience, it’s for everyone to teach kids about awareness. If I hadn’t taught my daughter certain things she wouldn’t learn in school, this outcome could have been completely different,” Semrau told Boston.com via Facebook Messenger. “She is, and will always be my hero.”

The incident occurred exactly a year after Semrau’s wife’s grandmother died, causing the family to pause and wonder about the unfolding of the day’s events. 

“She just happened to be home. The whole thing, the whole incident, is just incredible,” Semrau told Seacoast Online.