This dog sat in a road until a car stopped, then led man into woods to save injured human

Gita, 13-year-old rescue dog is being hailed a "true hero" for flagging help after her elderly owner fell and injured his leg in Washington state last month, Stevens County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Deputy Colton Wright was patrolling a rural wooded area in Stevens County when he spotted a dog sitting in the middle of the road. With no visible residences nearby, the officer assumed the dog had gone missing and tried to get Gita into his car so he could try to find the owner.

However, Gita firmly refused to get into the vehicle, prompting the deputy to check the surrounding areas.

"Sensing something amiss, Wright went back to the dog which was now laying on the centerline," the news release said.

As he tried to get the dog off the roadway, the animal "took off up a slightly travelled, unmarked roadway."

The deputy followed the dog, who led him to a small summer cabin. As he was checking around the area, he found "an elderly male laying on the ground calling for help a short distance from the cabin."

Turns out Gita had been seeking help for her 84-year-old owner, who had fallen and injured his leg.

The injured man, who also has several other medical conditions that needed regular medications, had been on the ground for hours "and may have had serious consequences" if he had not been found, authorities said.

Gita's owner thought he was going to 'die out there'

Gita's owner, Keith Johnson told KREM 2 he thought he "might die out there."

Johnson told the local media outlet that he woke up that day to his glucose machine telling him his blood sugar was low. He was about to grab some juice from the fridge when he saw that Gita needed to go outside so he thought he'll quickly let her out before. However, Gita had plans of her own and wanted to go towards the woods.

Keith followed her and was about 20 to 30 feet from the cabin when decided to turn around and head back. Just as he turned, a wave of dizziness hit him and he fell, breaking his hip.

Johnson told the media outlet he lay there for almost six and a half hours and regularly called for help but given the remoteness of the location, no one was able to hear him.

Gita, meanwhile, stayed by her owner's side until she decided "she needed to act," Johnson told the local media outlet.

"She knew I needed help, and she knew what she needed to do to get it," Johnson said.

Wright told KREM 2 he found Gita laying across the center lines, adding when he looked at her, she stood up, looked at him and then looked towards the driveway before "she took off up the driveway." Wright followed her and that's when he saw Keith with his hand up, calling for help.

Wright told the media outlet that after checking in with Johnson, he ran back to his truck to call for medics. He then stayed by Johnson's side until EMS arrived.

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'True hero'

"We credit Gita for saving his life that day," the sheriff's office said. "The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us."

The news release also thanked Wright for going the extra mile to investigate the dog's odd behavior.

"I was immensely relieved that I was saved and then I discovered it was Gita," Johnson said, adding he was incredibly grateful to his pet for saving her.

Johnson is now recovering at a medical facility, where Gita frequently visits him, according to KREM 2.

This story was updated to fix a typo.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.