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6-year-old girl rescued after using Facebook to send photos of dead father

Posted at 4:18 PM, Jan 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-07 16:18:29-05

MOUNT MORRIS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 6-year-old Michigan girl who was left alone in her home was rescued after posting photos of her dead father online.

WJRT reported that the girl was left alone for up to 24 hours after her 40-year-old Mt. Morris Township father died and her stepmother was unconscious from an apparent overdose.

The father was pronounced dead Thursday night after police were called to their home. A pit bull in the home had been chewing on the deceased man's face, police told the Detroit Free Press.

The 6-year-old girl reportedly woke up Thursday morning and found her parents incapacitated on a mattress. She threw water on them, but neither regained consciousness.

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The girl eventually took photos of the parents and sent them to her grandparents in Tennessee using Facebook Messenger. The grandparents then alerted authorities about the grisly situation.

Mt. Morris Township Police Chief Terence Green credited the girl with saving her stepmother’s life.

“Her actions, we believe, actually saved a life,” Green told the paper. "This 6-year-old went through a traumatic event — and she saved a life."

The 36-year-old stepmother remains in the hospital.

"Thank God she was smart enough and has the intelligence to get on that phone and try to contact someone,” Green said. "She didn't ask to be put in this situation."