Never underestimate the skills and wit of a child. This 12-year-old boy scout is being recognized after he helped rescue a couple who got lost while hiking in Hawaii back in August.

JD and Aimee planned to go on an easy 2-mile hike with their dog that day. However, the couple ended up getting lost seven miles into the trail. That might not have been too bad if it was still early. The thing is, what made it all worse was that it was getting dark and they had no extra food or water. Also, their cell phone was dead and their dog “Smokey” had injured his feet. They could not simply carry him because he is a 100-pound pit bull.

What they didn’t know was that they were about to be rescued. Not by the first responders but by a 12-year-old Boy Scout named David King and his mother, Christine.

The mother and son ran into the stranded trio while they were three miles away from completing a 15-mile merit badge hike. Thankfully, the Kings could show the couple the way out. But this is not the end of their struggle. Their dog was injured and their cellphones didn’t have service so they would not be able to call for help.

After learning about this, David had an idea. He remembered what his older brother taught him who was also an Eagle Scout.

In an interview with KHON-TV, David shared, “So we built them a stretcher using a, using a big tree branch that we broke in half and we used our shirts and like slid it on and used the armholes to fit the sticks through.”

His mom though wasn’t sure if it’s going to work but they were left with no choice. It was worth a try. She said, “It was his idea to make the stretcher. Because we didn’t think it was going to work because we didn’t think a dog would get on a stretcher. But the dog was so tired, Smokey, that he was just very happy to get on the stretcher and we just carried him out.”

But probably, Smokey has sensed that he is being saved. Or maybe he was too tired to complain. He simply got up onto the makeshift stretcher. And the four of them started their walk back to the trailhead. Still, between the four of them, it was a slow pace. They were lugging the large dog along the trail and they had to take many breaks.

David said, “It was really tough, but we rotated. So sometimes we did four people, one on each side, or two on each side, and then go to two people — like my mom and the man — and then we’d go back, and then the dog would get off and walk some which were really helpful and let us relax.”

It was a big day for David. He did not only complete his 15-mile hike but to top it all off, he did not hesitate to help others. His quick thinking made it easier for them all to reach their way back home. He is definitely a Boy Scout. Being open to help no matter what the situation is – that’s what being a Boy Scout is all about.