A dog was rescued from the Hillsborough River by a Tampa police officer after it clung to a seawall. An underwater sea creature lurking nearby may have helped the dog survive.
Things could have gone much worse for this pit bull pup when he escaped from his yard and accidentally took a tumble into a close-by river. Luckily, a friendly marine animal was there to stay him calm and safe until help arrived.
The local department in Tampa, Florida, received a call that morning from a lady who could hear some kind of “struggle” coming from the river behind her house. One Officer, Lopez rushed to the scene to find out what was wrong, and it had been there that he discovered a somewhat distressing but also rather magical scene.
The young pit bull was clinging frantically to the ocean wall, trying to not be caught in frenzy by the present, and he’d likely been there for several hours. But slightly below him was a manatee, floating on the brink of the surface and hovering protectively near the dog.
“They’re curious naturally, so I’m sure the sound of the dog splashing within the water trying to urge up the ocean wall got his attention He came to visit and studyresearch, maybe calm the dog and tell him it had been getting to be alright,” says Officer Lopez. Working quickly, the officer borrowed an ladder, and a few Milk bone treats and went right down to the sting of the river to coax the pup to return with him. He scooped the dog up and carried him to safety. After the rescue, the manatee slowly swam away, as if sensing it had accomplished its task.
As the dog was being rescued, his worried owner showed abreast of the scene. The eight-month-old pit bull, it seemed, had been missing since the night before, and his owner hadn’t had any luck locating him until she heard the commotion coming from the world near the river.
Of course, we’ll probably never know clearly exactly what the manatee’s intent was when it crouched next to this terrified dog, but we will a minimum of imagine that the friendly creature was watching over its fellow mammal and ensuring that it needs to safety.
Check out the video below to find out the heartwarming story for yourself.