After falling behind a cement retainer hidden behind a bush while walking his Shih Tzu, Coco, 7-year-old Dominic Jeffries found himself trapped outside at night in below freezing temperatures -- for 14 hours.

Wearing nothing but a light jacket and a fur hat, to keep from succumbing to the harsh Tennessee winter, Jeffries used his dog’s body heat to stay warm, snuggling his dog for the better part of their time in the embankment.

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As the night crept on, Jeffries saw his dog shivering from the cold and, in an outstanding act of selflessness, he gave the dog his jacket to warm up. Still worried, however, that the jacket wouldn't be enough for the dog, he later removed her leash and let her run home, leaving himself cold and alone for another three hours.

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Attempted Rescue

And while Jeffries was trapped relatively close to his home, when he heard people yelling his name, accompanied with the blue lights of police cars, he became worried that he was in trouble and failed to respond to their calls. “When he used to be with his parents, blue lights mean you’re in trouble,” said Robbyne Manning, Jeffries' legal guardian.

At daybreak, a police officer glimpsed Jeffries, rescued him from behind the cement retainer, brought him home, and explained to him that sometimes the flashing blue lights are there to help you.

Once Jeffries was back home and safe, the local police rewarded his bravery with his own badge, helping to change the way this he views the local authorities. Jeffires even has aspirations of being an officer himself one day, with hopes of being able to help others that may be lost or in trouble.