The horrifying moment a Florida police dog nearly fell 75 feet off a bridge while assisting in an arrest was captured on wild video footage, before his handler pulled the dog to safety on a leash. He pulled it back and saved his life.
Deputy Lauren Donaldson and the K-9 Zeppelin pilot were returning to their patrol vehicle after making a felony arrest on the 528 Causeway Bridge when the Zeppelin pilot attempted to jump over the guardrail. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Thursday.
Thankfully, Donaldson quickly tightened his grip on the Zeppelin’s strings as it dangled several stories above the Indian River, a 191-mile-long brackish lake near Cape Canaveral.
Video of the incident shows Donaldson’s shocked reaction, as she says: no! ” she whispered to herself as she planted her foot on the railing and pulled Zeppelin, a Belgian Malinois, back onto the bridge.
“The rescue of Lauren’s beloved partner is even more amazing when you consider that Zeppelin, a Belgian Malinois, weighed approximately 75 pounds and Lauren weighed 122 pounds when she was drenched and holding a bowling ball. However, she managed to pull away without panicking and the Zeppelin returned to safety,” Ivey wrote on Facebook.
“There is no doubt that without Loren’s quick action, the Zeppelin would have fallen approximately 75 feet into the Indian River, possibly resulting in its death,” Ivey added.
Ivey acknowledged that he is still reeling from the “tremendous fear” Zeppelin gave them, but was grateful the K-9 was unharmed.
Ivey said the deputy and her K-9 partner are two-time champions in the “Hardest Hitting K-9” division of the Space Coast K-9 Competition.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Lauren for her dedication to protecting our community as a member of our team,” the sheriff said.
