Dad Tracks Daughter's Phone to Local Sewer Before Climbing Down into Manhole (Exclusive)
Dad Tracks Daughter's Phone to Local Sewer Before Climbing Down into Manhole (Exclusive)
Jordan GreeneWed, June 17, 2026 at 6:45 PM UTC
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Julie Williams and her dadCredit: Julie Williams Music/Instagram -
Julie Williams' phone was stolen during a workout class while she was on tour with the Dolly Parton symphony show
Her dad Michael, an IT professional, secured the phone remotely and tracked it to a sewer in Kansas City
The story went viral on Instagram with nearly 1 million views and praise for Michael's dedication as a father
One daughter is showing the lengths her dad will go to for her.
While on tour with the Dolly Parton symphony show in Kansas City, Mo. singer Julie Williams realized her phone had been stolen from her backpack during a workout class. After discovering it was missing, she immediately called her dad, Michael, who happened to be in town visiting her.
"I just felt so grateful that my dad was there!" she tells PEOPLE exclusively. "He lives in Florida and was only in Kansas City because I was there singing with Dolly Parton's symphony show. So the fact that I was able to call him up and he was there within 15 minutes was a blessing!"
As it turned out, Michael was already one step ahead.
Because he works in IT, Michael, 63, had taken steps to secure his daughter's phone, making it difficult for anyone to access it. According to the outlet, the person who stole the device eventually abandoned it in a sewer.
When the father-daughter duo tracked the phone using Find My iPhone, they discovered its unusual location and contacted Kansas City Public Works for help. After workers opened access to the sewer, Michael climbed down to retrieve the device himself.
"Fun enough, this was just an average day for my dad!" Julie, 29, says. "Whenever someone is in trouble, he is the first to help - whether it's his kid or a random stranger! I once saw him pull over on the highway and climb on top of a flipped-over car to pull a girl to safety who had crashed."
Julie later shared the story on social media, where it has since gone viral on Instagram, racking up nearly 1 million views and thousands of comments from people praising Michael's dedication.
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Reading through all the positive comments Julie says has blown her and her dad away. They were especially shocked when singer-songwriter SZA chimed in. "Always a bald black daddy ! love mine 😂," she wrote.
"What could have been a bad situation (being stranded without my cellphone in a new city) turned into the best memory of me and my awesome dad!" Julie says.
"In a time where the news often brings anxiety and dread, I hope this video makes people smile!" she adds. "I also love that I get to shoutout my amazing dad and give him all the praise and love he deserves! Especially with Father's Day around the corner, it's a perfect time to highlight awesome dads!
Speaking with ABC News, Michael downplayed the attention.
"I like to think I'm special, but I think any dad would do that for their daughter," he told the outlet.
But for Julie, she says her dad deserves all the praise and recognition in the world.
"I admire the way he takes care of people - whether they are family, friends, or strangers," she says. "He will drop anything he is doing to help - whether it's driving across town to help my brother with a flat tire, climbing onto a neighbor's roof to fix their internet, or diving into a sewer to save my phone!"
"And he never expects anything in return," she continues. "He can fix anything and if he doesn't know how to, he will learn. He is my inspiration!"
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
