It was a normal trip to Penllergare Valley Woods in Wales for Jane Warner and her pup, Charlie — until things took a near-tragic turn.
While relaxing by the lake, Charlie noticed some ducks and decided to chase them. This led him right into the lake, and there was one major problem: Charlie isn’t the best swimmer.
When he made his way into the deep lake, the Shih Tzu started to get caught up in the reeds. Warner began to panic; being disabled, she had no way to swim out there herself to help her dog. That’s when an unexpected hero jumped into action.
Seventeen-year-old Connor Telford was nearby and noticed the dog beginning to sink in the water. He kicked off his shoes and instantly jumped in, paddling out to save Charlie’s life.
“Before I knew what was going on, Connor had dived in,” Warner said. “By which time there was no sign of Charlie at all — he’d gone completely under.”
Luckily, Telford was in the right place at the right time. He scooped Charlie up in his arms and led him back to shore safe and sound.
The behavior was unexpected for Charlie, who usually doesn’t show interest in birds, Warner said. But just as quickly as Charlie got into trouble, Telford was right there to come to his rescue.
“It was only the second time I’d taken Charlie to Penllergare Valley Woods, and the first time round he’d shown no interest in the ducks whatsoever,” Warner told Wales Online. “But on this occasion, he jumped in the lake to paddle after them, but I knew he had no chance of catching any – those birds were giving him the proper runaround.”
Warner was so thankful for Telford because otherwise, Charlie may not have made it out of the ordeal alive.
“I’ve no doubt in my mind that had Connor not got to him right then he’d have died,” Warner said. “And the poor lad himself was also quite shaken up afterward. I think it had been a tougher swim than he’d expected and I’m really grateful to him for risking his own safety the way he did.”
After the daring rescue, Warner posted about it on social media in hopes of reconnecting with Telford to tell him how truly thankful she was for all of his efforts to save Charlie. Her post was shared thousands of times online, and luckily Warner was able to give Telford a proper thank you.
Dozens of people rallied behind Telford, too, to tell him just how much his heroic efforts were appreciated.
“Without this lad and you all clapping and cheering him to keep him fighting then I’d be telling a very different story,” Warner posted on Facebook. “Thank you all, so much.”
H/T: The Animal Club
Featured Image: Jane Warner/ Facebook
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via Whisker Therapy