Earlier this month, a North Carolina man leapt into a pond to rescue his dog from the jaws of a large alligator. Bonner Herring was working in the garden of his Southport home when he heard his dog, Strike, scream out from the nearby pond on the property. He ran to the pond and saw Strike being held underwater by an eight-foot gator.
Without hesitation, Herring grabbed a rake and swam toward his struggling dog. He managed to pry Strike free and begin the swim back to shore. As they moved, the gator surfaced again, displaying its full length in an attempt to intimidate. Despite the danger, Herring made it to the shore with Strike and rushed him to a veterinary clinic, where X-rays showed the pup had a broken leg.
He admits it was risky to get in between the gator and his dog and urges others not to follow his example, though he says he would do it again to save Strike. The emotional weight of the ordeal hit him later in the waiting room, where he was comforted by a stranger. Strike is now recovering from the attack and receiving additional treatment in Wilmington.
Source: SUNNY SKYZ
Photo: Getty Images North America