Teens Speak Out After Dad Dies Trying To Rescue Puppy

The man who died while trying to rescue his puppy on an icy lake in Fountain has been identified as William Tuttle, 45. He leaves behind his son Taylor, 16 and his daughter Megan, 19. They are devastated by the sudden loss of their father. However, the teens say they are comforted by the last words from their dad.

Megan Tuttle said the last thing her dad said to her was that he loved her.

?I told him I love him too,? said Megan. ?It’s so hard. He’s not here anymore. He was such a great man. You would never see him without a smile on his face. He was always so happy. He would help anybody out if they needed it.? Megan?s dad brought a new puppy home just three weeks ago. They named him Brock.

?He (Brock) would come running to my room and jump on the bed and start licking me, like hey wake up, wake up,? said Megan. ?And he would wake up everybody in the house. And my dad’s like ?see he loves you guys.??

Megan?s dad loved that pup too. Saturday Brock wandered onto a lake at a Fountain park. William thought he was drowning.

?He (William) went out on the ice,? said Taylor, 16. He got the dog and he threw him to the shore and then it broke.? The ice beneath William broke. A woman stood nearby. ?I guess the lady tried to get a stick and (try to) get him,? said Taylor. ?But he was just too frantic, freaking out, and he went under.?

?We really don’t know if Brock was let off the leash or if the leash just slipped out of my dad’s hands,? said Megan.

Many have their opinions about what William should have done, but Taylor stands by his dad?s actions. ?I would have done it if I was there,? said Taylor. ?I would have gone and saved that dog. I would have risked my own life to go save the dog. I’m glad he did.?

?He saved Brock and he’s a hero,? said Taylor. ?For some people who don’t think he was, who think he was stupid, he was a hero to me. He’s my angel right now. He is. It wasn’t stupid. He did what he had to do.?

Now Taylor is doing what he has to do. He is ready to move on with his life and make his dad proud, as he looks toward his high school graduation.

?He is going to be there,? said Taylor. ?He is. He?s going to be there. I know he is. He’ll be proud of me. He’s going to be watching me. He’s going to guide me. He’s going to be there.?

?Maybe not physically,? said Megan. ?But he’ll probably be sitting there next to Taylor at his graduation no matter what.?

Now the Tuttle family is dealing with a heavy financial burden as they work out plans for William?s funeral. If you would like to make a monetary contribution, a fund has been set up for the Tuttle family at the Security Service Federal Credit Union on Mesa Ridge Parkway in Fountain, CO. For those who would like more information about how to help out, contact Danny Torres at (719) 651-5164.