Teen Trapped Three Days in Ravine Rescued by Bloodhound in Farmington
- 14-year-old Cody Trenkle survived nearly 80 hours lost after a skateboard crash near Goose Creek Lake.
- A six-year-old bloodhound named Daryl tracked Cody from his shoes and found him in about 20 minutes.
- Cody was airlifted to hospital, spent 11 days in a coma, and is now recovering at home with family support.
- The Farmington Correctional Center K-9 team received medals, but the family says gratitude is the true reward.
Farmington, Missouri, felt a collective hold of breath in late July when 14-year-old Cody Trenkle disappeared after crashing his skateboard near Goose Creek Lake. He tumbled about 240 feet into a rugged ravine and was out of contact as family and rescuers combed the steep terrain for nearly 80 hours.
Hope arrived in an unexpected form: six-year-old bloodhound K-9 Daryl from the Farmington Correctional Center. Given a pair of Cody’s shoes to follow the scent, Daryl found the boy alive in dense, wet ground within 20 minutes of starting the track.
“Twenty minutes on a three-day-old track, that’s almost unheard of,” said Lt. Joe Gillam, who leads the K-9 unit. As a parent himself, he called the outcome the best-case scenario because Cody was found alive.
“I put all my faith in Daryl, and sure enough, 20 minutes later, all the alarms started going off. That’s when I knew they found him,” she said.
Rescuers found Cody badly injured, lying in a foot of water and dehydrated, and rushed him by helicopter to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. He spent 11 days in a medically induced coma and then more than a month recovering from a brain bleed, pneumonia, and deep cuts.
Photo: Cody Trenkle and K-9 Daryl / GoFundMe
Even after so much, Cody’s sense of humor surfaced. “Just got to get the head healed, and then I’m Cody again,” he joked as family and friends rallied around him.
Two weeks after leaving the hospital, Cody returned to school and met his rescuer in person, grinning as he reached down to pet Daryl. “If I’d had to spend a couple more hours down there, I wouldn’t have made it. But because of him, 20 minutes, man, I’m impressed,” Cody said. His simple words of thanks—“Thank you. Thanks, Bubbas.”—captured the moment perfectly.
Stephanie Neely, Cody’s mom, said the reunion was overwhelming and humbling. “He was on a mission that day, which I’m grateful for. But just seeing him today and seeing Cody get to meet him, it’s pretty amazing.”
The Missouri Department of Corrections honored Daryl and the K-9 team with medals for their lifesaving work, a formal nod to an extraordinary find. For Cody’s family and their small town, the greater reward is the second chance and the neighborhood that rallied to bring him home.
Cody still faces months of healing, but each small step feels like a win for the Trenkles and the rescuers who refused to give up. The story of a boy, his family, and one determined bloodhound has become a quiet reminder of resilience and the kindness that shows up when it matters most.
Watch the reunion below:
Leave a Comment