Christmas Decorations Featuring Dummy Fool Passerby in Texas

Published: 12/3/2018, 12:27:05 PM EST

Christmas Decorations Featuring Dummy Fool Passerby in Texas — Christmas decorations in Austin, Texas, prompted a passerby to respond, believing a person was in danger. (KXAN via CNN)

Christmas decorations at a house in Texas fooled a passerby, who thought that a dummy hanging from the roof was a real person and tried to save it.

The decorations were inspired by "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." In one scene in the movie, Clark Griswold clings to the gutter of his home after he slipped while putting up Christmas lights.

The Heerlein family in Austin had a dummy dressed up like the character and hung from the roof, with a ladder underneath that looked like it was tipping over. It was part of an effort to win the neighborhood's home decoration contest.

A person passing by thought the dummy was real and attempted to save him.

A doorbell camera captured the person yelling, "Oh mister, please hold on!" as he wrestles with the ladder to try to get to the dummy to save it. The man also yelled "HELP!" and called 911.

"He was doing everything he could to get the ladder! And be like 'Save Clark!'” Chris Heerlein’s sister-in-law Leah Wheless told KVUE. "He didn't give up. Whatever he had to do, he was going to save old Clark Griswold."

A police officer responded to the call and spoke to the nanny.

After the ordeal, the family kept the dummy hanging but put up a sign that said, “Clark G is part of our Christmas display please do not call 911.”

The family heard the man's telephone number when he gave it to the operator during the 911 call. They called the man and thanked him and gave him a gift card as an apology.

The passerby was identified as a retired veteran.

"I was trying to get him down anyway I can. Except when I started talking to him, he never said nothing!" Alfred Norwood Jr. said. "Then I thought, 'Oh my God I hope he's not dead, lemme call 9-1-1.'"

Norwood and the Heerleins met and laughed about what happened together.

"You're welcome over for hot cocoa any day," Chris Heerlein told Norwood, who burst out laughing, during a "Good Morning America" video.

"Hundreds of people drive by this house every day and see that mannequin up there and I'm standing by the one guy who cared enough to save somebody's life, he jumped out and did it," Heerlein added.

The Cross Hall during the 2018 Christmas Press Preview at the White House, on Nov. 26, 2018. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo) — The Cross Hall during the 2018 Christmas Press Preview at the White House, on Nov. 26, 2018. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

Christmas Decorations and Spending

Nine in 10 Americans and 95 percent of Christians celebrate Christmas, according to a Pew Research Survey.

Many of them celebrate Christmas by decorating their homes, both inside and outside.

A key part of the decorations? A Christmas tree. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 25 million to 30 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States every year. The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington.

This year, consumers said they were planning to spend an average of $1,007.24 during the winter holiday season, with $215.04 of that planned for food, decorations, flowers, and greeting cards, according to the National Retail Foundation.

Adults told Gallup that they planned to spend an average of $885 on Christmas gifts in 2018, the highest holiday spending projection since the 2007 to 2009 recession. That included 33 percent of respondents who said they planned to spend at least $1,000 on Christmas gifts.

A 2017 survey from the Lincoln Financial Group found that millennials typically spend more on the holidays versus other age groups, at an average of $1,400. That was $500 more than boomers and Generation Xers.

Experts said people should save up throughout the year if planning to spend big for the holidays, and plan ahead and make a budget.

“It’s tempting to splurge at this time of year, but it’s important to ensure that holiday spending doesn’t derail your finances,” said Jamie Ohl, president at Lincoln Financial Group, in a statement. “As with all financial matters, planning is a good way to stay on track, even when you’re tempted by sales and impulse buys.”