AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin family's bid to win their neighborhood Christmas decorations contest fooled a passerby who rushed to save the life of a dummy that was all part of the family's elaborate holiday decorations.
The Heerlein family's Christmas decorations took a page from the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," in which one character, Clark Griswold, clings to the gutter of the second story of his home after slipping on the roof while putting up lights.
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The Heerlein family had a dummy, dressed in an outfit similar to the character from the movie, hanging from their roof. The doll shocked a passerby, whose reaction was captured on the family's home surveillance system.
In the video, which was obtained by "Good Morning America," the passerby is seen moving the ladder to get what he thinks is a person down from the gutter. The man is also seen trying to flag people down to help while on the phone with 911.
The family was able to find the passerby and gave him a gift card for his troubles, according to GMA.
Since the incident, GMA reported that the family has added a sign to their decorations, which alerts people to the fact that the dummy is part of their Christmas decorations.
