Gabe Castellanos was at a park on the East River in Brooklyn, celebrating his 38th birthday with his friends. Suddenly, Castellanos heard someone shout for help.
The person said that there was a dog drowning in the river.
The dog, Harper, was on a walk with her usual dog walker. As they were crossing the street, a cab ran a stop sign. The cab driver hit the dog walker and Harper. Both only sustained minor injuries, but the dog walker accidentally dropped Harper’s leash.
Terrified Harper started running as fast as she could. She kept running until she reached the East River. Still scared out of her mind, she jumped into the river.
It was a warm day and the park was packed. It didn’t take long for people to notice poor Harper swimming for her life.
Someone called the police, but many people worried that they wouldn’t get there in time. Since it was early spring, the river was still freezing cold, and Harper was clearly losing strength.
That’s when Castellanos decided he was going to rescue Harper.
Castellanos knew he was the right person to save Harper—he had gone to SUNY Maritime College, where he was trained in water survival skills. And so, Castellanos ran over to the park’s pier and carefully lowered himself over the side. Then, he jumped into the cold water.
“There was a grand cheer when I entered the water,” Castellanos told The Dodo. “After that, I was no longer focused on the crowds and my surroundings but focused on my breathing and swimming over to Harper. The crowds went mute during my swim. I’m sure they were still cheering, but I could not hear anything other than the water.”
Castellanos swam as fast as he could until he reached Harper. The dog lashed out at Castellanos, biting his hand and face. But Castellanos knew the dog was just scared, and he gently spoke to her until she let him lead her to shore.
Castellanos successfully led Harper back to shore. By that point, hundreds of people had gathered to watch the rescue. They all cheered when the pair got back onto dry land!
By that point, the police and an ambulance had arrived. Someone also called Harper’s owner, Erin O’Donnell. O’Donnell had been performing with the Brooklyn Irish Dance Company in Manhattan, and she was shocked to hear what had happened with her dog. She was so grateful to Castellanos for saving her beloved dog.
“Thank you, Gabe, and I hope you’re feeling better,” O’Donnell said.
Harper sustained some injuries on her paws, but other than that she’s doing well. She’s now recovering at home with her mom.
“Her paws are in rough shape, so she will need some trendy boots for a few weeks, but otherwise she’s in great spirits,” O’Donnell said. “It is definitely so refreshing to see the positive responses from people at the Brooklyn Barge and on social media expressing their sympathy for Harper and praising Gabe, who definitely saved the day.”
When Castellanos saw a dog in trouble, he immediately jumped in to help. We’re so glad Castellanos and Harper are doing well and recovering from their ordeal!
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