LETTER: Bolton couple thankful for outpouring of support after tragedy
April 3, 2021To the community:
We want to thank everyone from all over: our friends and family, our neighbors and community, people from all over Vermont and surrounding areas who have driven to help search, people from all over the country and world who have reached out to us with prayer and love and kindness. The love we have received is unbelievable.
Derek and Amanda Taylor with their dogs Molly (left) and Yogurt. Courtesy photo
We followed some false hope along the way, but we pursued that because of the deep love we have for our boy. But now we have to face the reality of the unimaginable tragedy. That reality is that I did see him below large cliffs floating unconscious (or dead) before he was taken back under. A part of my heart and soul died in that moment and will remain on that brook with my sweet perfect boy for eternity. The chance of him surviving after being in that state... in class 5 rapids of 32-degree water crashing through boulders at that speed... are slim to none. I appreciate the hope from people all over, but if you truly knew the geography of this area or saw the water that day you would be able to understand the grim reality.
We followed every lead we could, but each lead developed into nothing. We searched everywhere we could in every way we could. We are almost certain he is trapped beneath the brook somewhere in a deep crevasse.
The harsh reality is we may never get the closure that we need, but we are trying to find solace in the unconditional love we shared with our sweet boy and the belief that he knew how much we loved him, and the hope that he did not suffer for long at all.
We feel guilt, deep heartbreak, despair, and unfathomable sadness at this time....and we need to navigate these feelings together. We need to be strong and try to be happy for Yogurt’s big sister Molly, as she is 13.5 years old and very lonely without her best friend.
But we thank YOU, each and every one of you for the love and support. Thank you for seeing the picture of our boy and hearing our pain through a computer screen and reaching out with open arms. Thank you for crying with us and holding us in your hearts. That is the exact kind of love Yogurt gave to every single person and animal he met. We can’t help but to wonder if that is his love coming back to comfort us in some way.
Hug your fur babies close,
Hug your husbands or wives or lovers or friends or family close,
Be safe and never underestimate how fragile life is and how quickly you can lose something in the blink of an eye.
Remember our sweet boy Yogurt as he was: ridiculously handsome, young, adventurous, floofy, silly and sweet. For that is how we will remember and love and miss him eternally. The year and a half of taking care of our sweet boy will surely go down in the history of our marriage and lives as the best days ever. Thank you Yogurt. Thank you for loving us, for making our lives perfect and for achieving what we thought was impossible: winning over the old grouchy lady Molly. We are forever indebted to you and we will hold your spirit in our hearts forever. We are so sorry, boy.
Amanda Knoll Taylor
Derek Taylor
Bolton
Editor’s note: The Taylors’ 1-year-old golden retriever, Yogurt, was swept away in Joiner Brook on March 26 and Derek attempted to rescue him to no avail. Taylor was rescued. The incident captured the attention of people near and far who offered support and assistance in searching for the lost pet last week.