A Vermont man is being called a “hero” after jumping into a freezing cold river to rescue a drowning dog and returning it to its worried owner.
Chris MacRitchie was at the drive-thru at a Dunkin Donuts in Berlin with his family when he happened to look down a hill and saw a dog struggling in a nearby square. riverThe Associated Press reported.
Video recorded by his son shows the dramatic moment MacRitchie steps across the partially frozen river and jumps into the water.
This person will forever be my hero! Never before have I told a stranger so many times that I love him. To some, this may just be a man rescuing a dog, but to me, it's a man rescuing an extension of my soul. This is a video of the amazing human being who saved my daughter! ️️️️
Posted by morgan cerasoli Friday, January 10, 2025
“Come on, come on,” the wife could be heard saying behind her, urging the dog for her husband to take him to safety.
In a matter of seconds, MacRitchie was able to cross the river and calmly grab the crazed pet and bring her back to shore, where his wife put a shirt on her.
The dog, later identified as “Arizona,” had been missing from her owner, Morgan Cerasoli, for more than 24 hours after being pulled from the frigid waters.
“When I saw that video, it was clear to me that if it wasn't for Chris, I would have lost her,” Serasoli said. said Action news 5.
When MacRitchie called to say he had found her missing dog, she recalled saying, “Oh my god, I love you, I love you, I love you!”
“You are forever a hero in my eyes because you saved my daughter,” the woman told the brave dog rescuer during an interview with a news outlet.
She posted a video of the daring save on Facebook with the caption: “This man will forever be my hero!” Never before have I told a stranger so many times that I love him. To some, this might just be a man rescuing a dog, but for me, it's a man rescuing an extension of my soul! ”
“It was like one of those decision-making moments that everyone probably goes through in their life,” MacRitchie told The Associated Press. “I have two dogs myself, so I felt I had an obligation to at least try to get this dog out of the river. I hope that if there were dogs in the area, someone would do it for me.” Masu.”
He added that he had no idea how deep the river was when he entered it.
“The only real stress I felt about this game was not being able to get into the cold water. It was the depth. I didn't know if it was 20 feet deep or 2 feet deep.” he explained. “When I broke through and stood up and was about waist height, I was really relieved. At that moment, in my mind, I was like, 'OK, this isn't that bad.' Yes, it's cold, but I think this is a very doable situation. ”
Serasoli said Arizona has largely recovered from the incident.
