The average day hanging out at a marina watching the boats go by sounds really relaxing. But that wasn't the case recently. One teen and his group of friends saw something pretty disconcerting happening down in the water.
They spotted what looked like a senior dog struggling in the water off the docks. It was trying to keep itself above water, but things weren't looking good for the poor thing. But one 15-year-old jumped into action and saved its life.
According to KTLA 5, Mateo Ackerman of Newport Beach in California performed the daring dog rescue at around 4:00 pm on June 18. Mateo and his friends had seen the dog, whose name tag revealed his name was George, wandering through traffic before he fell into the water.
Mateo and his friends watched the dog for a while. But when they saw George was struggling, he knew he had to leap into action — literally.
Viral footage online documented the dog rescue. He was seen leaping into the harbor and swimming a good distance to the dog. While he tried to guide the dog back to the shore, that's when he started to really struggle.
In his words, "I carried him back to shore". The dog was exhausted by the time Mateo reached him and was utterly unable to swim.
After they got back to shore, Mateo's friends managed to wrap the poor pooch in a towel to keep him warm. They called the number on his collar and reunited him with his family.
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The Teen Has Been Praised Online for His Rescue Efforts at the Marina
People online were enamored with the teen for his efforts.
One commenter quoted Ronald Reagan. "President Reagan once famously said, 'To those who say there are no more heroes, well, they just don't know where to look.'"
Other commenters praised his initiative. "Bless his heart, what a beautiful soul. Teach them well," one wrote, with another writing, "Hero, everybody should thank him for his compassion."
Others felt quite bad for the dog. One lamented, "Poor pup must've been so scared."
Good on you, Mateo!
