Rome, Italy — Three lifeguard dogs helped save 14 people from drowning on a beach.
On the coast of Sperlonga, a group of three families met the unfortunate event of having their inflatables capsize causing panic and alarm from the members.
Good thing, lifeguards were on duty along with their dog companions.
The canines were trained to be held on the water so that they can paddle the swimmers to safety.
Scuola Italiana Cani Salvataggio-Tirreno (SICS) is an Italian rescue dog school. They have a program that trains 300 dog units, each with one human trainer, and delegates them to 30 beaches around Italy.
Eros, Mya, and Mira were the dogs on patrol that day when the accident happened.
The story is told in an Italian news outfit.
They said that the operation to save the children began at around 4 pm when a mother went to the station to report that she saw her children and husband struggling in the water.
Some swimmers tried to help but they were pushed by the strong waves and current. The waves also turned the inflatables and surf equipment upside down.
Then when the lifeguards came, they recounted that when they entered the water, they first calmed the people down. They brought the first three closest to the shore.
They heard someone say “Help, I can’t make it anymore.” The rescuers immediately brought life jackets and helped them all ashore.
One of the rescuers said that she can still remember one kid clinging tightly to Mya until they reached the shore.
Along with their trainers, they were able to bring the 14 people to safety in as little as 15 minutes. Mayor Armando Cusani of Sperlonga thanked the rescuers saying: “Congratulations to these four-legged heroes and their trainers for a successful rescue operation. I am convinced that the implementation of having lifeguard dogs was the right choice.”