He has been hailed for taking the plunge to bring the dog to safety
A Co Down man has been lauded for braving the freezing sea on Sunday afternoon to save a dog tangled in rope.
The hero, Paddy Bond, 24, from Donaghadee, took the plunge at Bangor’s Long Hole to bring the brown Labrador to safety after it got caught on mooring rope and was holding on for dear life with its teeth.
A player for Ards Rugby Club, Paddy’s quick thinking actions were all caught on camera.
Worried onlookers gathered to watch the rescue and applauded his efforts to save the distressed dog, which can be heard crying in video footage.
Stephen Murray was there to see it all happen.
He told Belfast Live: “The mooring rope got tangled around the dog as it was swimming.
“The owner said his dog loves swimming [and] we all thought that the dog was just stubborn and wouldn’t let the rope go out of its mouth – but when Paddy got to it its back legs seemed to be tangled up in the old mooring rope.
“Paddy managed to get the dog released. It didn’t put the dog off as he tried to swim back to it again but Paddy grabbed his collar and pulled him back to the safety of the steps.
“A great ending.”
Many have taken to social media to praise the young hero for his heartwarming actions.
One said: “What a fantastic young man his parents must be so proud of him.”
Another added: “This has restored my faith in humanity.”