A 26-year-old Brazilian man living in Cork has been hailed a hero after risking his own safety to save a dog from drowning in the River Lee.
Gustavo Morais, who has been living in Cork since March, had been returning from a day’s shopping with his groceries when he found himself at the centre of a dramatic rescue at Pope’s Quay, just yards from Cork Opera House.
Speaking to All About Cork, Gustavo said he was travelling along the quay on his scooter and noticed a crowd gathered at the water’s edge. Curious to see what was happening, he stopped to investigate. What he saw next shocked him
A dog was struggling desperately in the water, fighting to keep its head above the surface and showing signs of exhaustion.
Gustavo immediately realised the animal was in serious trouble and feared it would drown if nobody intervened. He knew he had to act fast.
Without hesitation, he took off his jumper and shoes and jumped from the quay wall, a drop of approximately ten feet, into the water below.
A member of the public had already thrown a lifebuoy into the river in the hope that the dog would grab hold of it, but the attempt had proved unsuccessful.
Gustavo began swimming towards the struggling animal, despite admitting that he would not consider himself a particularly strong swimmer.
As he approached, the frightened dog tried to bite him, but Gustavo understood that the animal was terrified and fighting for its life.
Undeterred, he managed to grab hold of the dog and secure himself alongside the lifebuoy before making his way towards the steps at the quay wall.
Onlookers watched anxiously as the rescue unfolded, breaking into applause and cheers as Gustavo and the dog finally made it to safety.
For the young Brazilian, the overwhelming feeling was one of relief that the animal had survived.
While people praised him for his bravery, Gustavo was quick to play down his actions.
He said he simply could not stand by and watch the dog drown in front of him and the gathered crowd.
The dog was subsequently taken away by a man believed to be its owner.
But while the immediate danger had passed, Gustavo was left cold, shivering and understandably shaken by the experience.
He was also concerned about the condition of the river water and whether he might have swallowed some of it, potentially exposing himself to infection.
Despite being soaked from head to toe, the quietly spoken Gustavo gathered up his shopping, climbed back onto his scooter and headed home.
There, he took a hot shower and changed into dry clothes after what had turned out to be anything but an ordinary shopping trip.
Gustavo works as a body piercer in Cork city, and also enjoys martial arts as well as keeping fit.
Reflecting on the incident, he said he would not hesitate to do the same thing again.
He hopes the dog is recovering well and would love the opportunity to meet both the animal and its owner to make sure everything is okay.
And while others may describe him as a hero, Gustavo is having none of it.
For him, it was simply a case of doing what he felt had to be done.
Thankfully, thanks to the courage and quick thinking of a young man who happened to be passing by, what could have ended in tragedy on the banks of the River Lee instead had a happy ending.
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