Duo noticed dog walking around and were worried about his safety—minutes later, they dialed 911 and saved his life
There must have been times when animal lovers have come across the furry pals multiple times by complete coincidence. It is seldom that these observations and interactions lead to life-saving acts. Fede Skinner and Aisha Fahmy were having a relaxed day at Fort Lauderdale when they chanced upon a canine, CBS News reported. It didn’t seem to be much of an interaction then. However, when Fahmy saw the dog a couple of times, she also noticed that the dog was unaccompanied and that she could fall into danger. While she didn’t think much of it, a little while later, her keen observation helped save the canine’s life.
Fahmy noted how the dog was wandering around. "It's pretty scary because at some point the dog was in the middle of the road. And there were like three different cars that almost hit it. It was kind of terrifying, to be honest," she recalled. She was already worried for the dog but couldn’t do much without knowing who the owner was. Suddenly, she found her fears unfolding. “We're talking right here and out of the corner of my eye, I see something fall in the water over there,” Skinner noted. When they observed carefully, they saw that it was the very same dog.
The duo immediately called 911 and the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue promptly arrived on the scene. They had just started for the day when they received the call. They found the dog fallen in the canal. "We made contact with the puppy. She was docile, very frail," Captain David Landers said. Speaking of the rescue, it was noted that it was not too challenging and given the canine’s cooperation, things were smoother. Footage shared by WQAD News 8 shows the officers making their way through. They first pet and befriended the dog, who was gentle and sweet. After making the canine feel safe, they went on to carefully grab and rescue her.
Lieutenant Mason McConchie, who assisted in the rescue, explained, "There was a little ledge there so I didn't have to dive in the water or anything. I just had to take my shoes off and go down and grab her out.” The dog was safely carried and taken above on land. The officers were glad to hold onto the animal until the details of the owners were retrieved. Fahmy and Skinner were beyond relieved to have noticed the pet fall in the split second and make the life-saving call. "When I heard the splash, I looked over. I was terrified. So I was really, really happy to see the dog be safe at the end," Fahmy remarked.
Landers commended the duo for being vigilant and responding smartly. "The callers are the true heroes because had they not called, nobody would've known the dog was in the water," he said. Adding to his message, he noted, "A life's a life. Whether it's an animal, whether it's a person.” The first responders contacted the pet owners who were willing and happy to drive to Fort Lauderdale and get their pet.
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