3-Year-Old Dials 911 to Save Dying Dad Impaled on Chisel (VIDEO)

(CBS) An injured Oregon man might have bled to death, were it not for his quick-thinking 3-year-old son.

Little A.J. Hayes knew enough to call 911 after his father, Aaron, accidentally stabbed himself with a chisel last week while carving wood at his Salem home. The chisel severed an artery in Aaron's left arm, causing profuse bleeding, CBS-TV affiliate KOIN reported.

"Daddy needs help!" A.J. yelled into the phone.

"Do you need an ambulance?" asked the dispatcher.

"Right away! He's been hurt! You have to come. He really needs help."

The elder Hayes lost several pints of blood, according to KOIN. But he's back at home after being treated at Salem Hospital.

Experts say it makes good sense to make sure kids know when to call 911 - and how.

Most 911 calls are now traced, but it's best to make sure children have their street address and telephone number memorized, according to KidsHealth.org. Make sure your house number is visible from the street so emergency personnel know which house to go to - and always call it "nine one one" and not "nine eleven." In an emergency, the last thing you want is to have your child waste time looking for the telephone's "eleven" button.

"My son saved my life today," the elder Hayes told KOIN. "I'm super proud."