While celebrating his 38th birthday with friends in a park along the East River in Brooklyn, Gabe Castellanos heard an urgent call for help. People shout about a dog struggling in the water.
The dog, named Harper, was on his usual walk with his dog walker. As they were crossing a street, a cab driver ran a stop sign and hit them both. Although they only had minor injuries, the dog walker accidentally dropped Harper’s leash in the commotion.
Fearing an accident, Harper ran until he reached the East River. Terrified, he jumped into the cold water.
It was a hot day, and the park was full of people who quickly noticed Harper struggling to stay afloat on the frozen river. Someone called the police, but many were worried they wouldn’t be there in time to save him. Harper was clearly losing his strength.
That’s when Gabe decided to act. Having received training in water safety skills at SUNY Maritime College, he knew he could help. He hurried to the park’s pier, carefully climbed over the edge, and jumped into the cold water.
“There was great joy when I entered the water,” Castellanos told The Dodo. “After that, I wasn’t focused on the people and my surroundings but focused on my breathing and swimming to Harper. The crowd went quiet as I swam. I’m sure they were still cheering, but I couldn’t hear anything but the water .”
Gabe quickly swam towards Harper. In fear, she bit his hand and face when he reached her. Understanding her fear, Gabe spoke softly to her until she allowed him to guide her back to the beach.
When they finally reached dry land, hundreds of onlookers cheered loudly. At that time, the police and an ambulance arrived. Someone also contacted Harper’s owner, Erin O’Donnell. She was performing at the Brooklyn Irish Dance Company in Manhattan and was shocked to hear what had happened. She is very grateful to Gabe for saving her beloved dog.
“Thank you, Gabe, and I hope you feel better,” O’Donnell said.
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Harper had some injuries to his legs but was otherwise fine. He is now recovering at home with Erin.
“His feet are in rough shape, so he’ll need some stylish boots for a few weeks, but otherwise he’s in great spirits,” O’Donnell said. “It was really refreshing to see the positive responses from people on the Brooklyn Barge and on social media expressing their condolences to Harper and praising Gabe, who really saved the day.”
When Gabe saw that Harper was in danger, he didn’t hesitate to help. We are so glad that both Harper and she recovered from their experience!
