Erin O’Donnell adopted Harper through North Shore Animal League back in 2017. Since that day, the little gal has been the biggest fan and lover of her mom. While she may be a bit nervous being in new environments and around unfamiliar people, Harper easily warms up once she gets to know you.
One Saturday in May of this year, Erin left for Manhattan for a performance with a group called Brooklyn Irish Dance Company. Harper was left in Brooklyn under the care of a reliable dog walker. When they went out for a stroll, a reckless cab driver ran over the stop sign and hit both Harper and her dog walker.
Thankfully, they sustained superficial wounds and minor injuries only. But the poor dog was extremely terrified. She ran fast and far until she made it to East River. And with no hesitations, Harper jumped right into the water.
Onlookers initially thought the dog was merely having a quick dip with her owner nearby. But soon enough, they realized what was really going on. A patron came running and yelling that Harper, the dog, got away. Lorenzo Fonda managed to capture the scene on video.
— Lorenzo Fonda (@lorenzo_fonda) May 5, 2019
The water was extremely cold and Harper started losing speed. If she fails to calm down, it wouldn’t be long before she starts to completely start drowning. Fortunately, Gabe Castellanos, who graduated from SUNY Maritime College with extensive knowledge about survival skills, particularly in water, was in the scene. He knew he needed to act fast and so he did.
Gabe grabbed the life vest that was sitting nearby, removed his clothes leaving only his underwear, climbed down the rails, and then carefully dove into the water. A crowd of about 300 people started cheering as Gabe sprang into action. But as he started swimming, everything went mute. All he could hear was the water and his focus was on his breathing and making it to Harper.
Harper kept her pace in the water and Gabe had to catch up so he worked harder. When the scared pup realized someone was approaching, she freaked out and tried to swim faster to keep a distance. But Gabe was persistent enough. Eventually, he reached her and was finally able to secure Harper.
The crowd cheered as Gabe and Harper made it back to the shore. They were exhausted but unharmed. Harper’s ordeal happened without her mom actually knowing and Erin only knew the incident after it has occurred. Nevertheless, she’s extremely thankful for rescuing her Harper.
Credits to Lorenzo Fonda
