Rome Woman Saves Squirrel From Drowning in Pool

This curious little squirrel is lucky to be alive, as the homeowner saved it from drowning in her pool in Rome.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. When Lisa Garofalo Curtis of Rome let her dogs one morning, she noticed her pool cover flapping around. When she investigated, she found a squirrel unable to get out of the water. After quickly grabbing a shovel and gloves, she rescued the squirrel and quickly went to work, trying to save its life.

Get our free mobile app

Lisa told us it took about 30 minutes to nurse the squirrel back to health. "Poor thing wasn't moving its back legs, and it was in shock." She's happy that not only did the squirrel survive, but it also turned into a teaching moment for her son as he witnessed firsthand how people can make a positive difference in an innocent animal's life.

Lisa says she worked hard on getting him to stop shaking and perk up. He started eating peanuts that she set beside him, then jumped up and started running around in her yard backyard.

I feed the squirrels daily with peanuts, fruit and seed. I laid peanuts next to him (I wrapped him in a towel to keep warm) and he eventually perked up and started to eat them When he gained his strength back he got up and started jumping on the deck and into the yard like normal. I’m sure I will see him in the morning when I do my morning feedings.

Lisa said she's never done anything like this, "I was so relieved that I could save him and thankful he trusted me."

Lisa's dad, Richard Garofalo, also from Rome, says on his Facebook page:

What are fathers for? My daughter always calls me when she has spiders, bees, bats and other insects in the house. Once I went over at 1:00 am for a bat. Today was a first. A squirrel was trapped on her pool liner and it was drowning. We saved the little guy, that's what we do. Another job to add to my resume.

Let's hope this little squirrel stays out of trouble. It sounds like he's got a great life in Lisa's backyard.