It is important in life to always be on the lookout for trouble, including trouble for yourself as well as others.

By preparing for anything that comes your way, you are more able to respond to unforeseen circumstances.

One dog and his owners were fortunate to come across a boy scout in their time of need.

Always be prepared

The boy scouts are a youth program designed to get young boys and girls ready for the rigors of life ahead. This has led to the motto of, “Be prepared.”

An even more important boy scout motto is “Do a Good Turn Daily.” No scout lives up to these mottos more than David King of Hawaii.

The situation took an unexpected turn

Earning merit badges is a way of life for many scouts, but the unexpected happened when David and his mother took a 15-mile hike to earn his merit badge for hiking.

With three miles left, David and his mom came across a couple and their dog who were in trouble.

Of Course, David did the right thing.

The couple had run out of water and their phone batteries had died. Worst of all, the pit bull, named Smokey, was injured.

With darkness fast approaching, David offered to help the couple out. Unknown to David, though, his skills as a scout would be put to the test.

David used his scout training

After giving the couple some water, David set to work on figuring out how to get Smokey to safety.

David’s scout training kicked in and before he knew it, he had a solution to their problem.

“We built them a stretcher using a big tree branch that we broke in half and used our shirts and slid it on using the armholes to fit the sticks through,” David told KHON2.

Initially, Smokey resisted the idea of riding on the stretcher, but eventually, the group was able to coax him on. Then began the trek back to safety.

Taking turns, the four carried Smokey on the stretcher, making their way toward the parking lot.

“Sometimes we did four people, two on each side,” David said. “Or two people — my mom and the man — and then the dog would get off and walk some, which was really helpful and let us relax.”

Getting everyone to safety

Smokey’s owners were able to quickly get him the medical treatment that he needed. David, meanwhile, was left with a sense of accomplishment.

“To help someone using my Boy Scout skills makes me feel accomplished because it shows I’ve learned something and it wasn’t all in one ear and out the other,” David told CNN.

The biggest lesson that David hopes people learn from his experience is the importance of being prepared no matter what the situation.

See David’s heroics in action in the video below!

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Sources: YouTube KNON2 News, People, CNN