For the fortunate few, our father is the one person we can rely on to safeguard us for the rest of our lives. The patron of the family, though, was not your typical father for Elizabeth Quick. In fact, she’ll never forget how Robert Joseph Quick responded the day she was on the verge of dying.
Deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a house in Fort Madison at 10:30 a.m. due to complaints of an ongoing animal assault. Police arrived at the house to find a “big dog” that was so “violent” that it was still on top of its victim.
The call came after Elizabeth Quick, 5, was attacked by the dog in her front yard and battered to within an inch of her life. But, it was what her dad did when he watched the huge dog rip his daughter apart that stunned rescue personnel.
33-year-old Robert Joseph Quick sacrificed his life for his 5-year-old daughter, throwing himself on the enormous dog to have it attack him rather than his kid. The savage beast was still on top of Robert when the cops came, mauling him in a horrifying and gory fury.
Cops tried to remove the dog, but it was “violent” and refused to let go of Robert, causing deputies to kill it to halt the assault. He was apparently brutally mauled and is in serious condition. Regardless of his injuries, the selfless father directed authorities to assist his daughter, who had been hit in the face.
Thankfully, Lizzie was rescued and recovered quickly at the local hospital. Her dad, on the other hand, did not. Robert had a deadly heart attack at the scene and died soon after. He was sent to Fort Madison Community Hospital and later declared dead.
The dog belonged to a family member and was being cared for by the owners of the residence where the event occurred. The kind of dog involved in the assault has not been disclosed by officials, but it was verified to be a huge breed.
Robert was survived by his wife, Dawn Quick, and four children, according to his obituary. He also enjoyed working on and collecting cars, camping, music, fishing, mushrooming, and spending time on the river, but above all, he loved his kids.
There has been no word as to whether charges have been filed against the dog’s owner or who owns the animal. Obviously, the family did not anticipate the dog to attack, or they would not have allowed their kids to get in touch with it.
Robert has been praised as a hero for willingly sacrificing his own life to rescue his daughter. He didn’t hesitate to throw himself in the path of death if it meant his tiny child had a shot at life. He will be remembered as a hero who, even as he lay dying, was more worried about his daughter’s well-being than his own.
