The remarkable footage captured by security cameras show how one hero catches a dog as it spirals toward the ground at an alarming speed. In the city of Ribeirao Preto in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, Joao Augusto noticed a small dog on the balcony of another flat.
The dog was climbing onto the railing of a balcony and barking when Augusto knew that he had to do something. The sweet little Shih Tzu, Mel, was in danger of falling from the railing and onto the pavement below.
The caretaker of the building, Paulo Narciso, noticed Augusto running and let him in the gate.
“I didn’t really understand at the time, I opened the gate and went with the man. We got there and saw that the dog was curled over the railing and was going to fall. I went up to the flat but the owner wasn’t home.”
Augusto carefully positioned himself where he thought that the dog might land if it fell. He held his arms up and rocked back and forth trying to be in the exact spot that he needed to be. He knew that he only had one chance to save the dog, and he wanted to make it count.
The dog slipped from the edge of the balcony and began racing toward the ground at lightning speed. This 100-foot fall could have been fatal had it not been for Augusto. When this hero catches the falling dog, he barely hangs onto it, but his grasp is enough, and the dog is saved.
“I asked for a towel or a sheet to help in some way, but there wasn’t enough time. Then, she fell from the ninth floor. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to catch her but I was aware that I could cushion the fall.
I was on the floor for a few seconds but it was from relief. I think that I was in the right place at the right time. I did what I could, the most I could to help. It was a joint effort with the caretaker who acted quickly to help the dog. It was a happy ending.”
The little dog recovers quickly and runs away unharmed by the incident thanks to the quick thinking and willingness of one man. Augusto remains on the ground for a few more seconds, relieved that he may have saved the dog’s life. Mel needed a hero that day, and one showed up for her.
Neither Mel nor Augusto was harmed during the incident. The owner of the flat has now installed a net that will keep little Mel safe and sound on the balcony.
Augusto may have been at the right place at the right time, but that isn’t what makes him a hero. He never gave a second thought to what needed to be done, and he was willing to do whatever it took to save the dog’s life.
He, himself, became the barrier between her and imminent catastrophe. Augusto didn’t just call for help or draw attention to what was about to happen. No, he cared deeply and chose to be the difference that the world needs. He chose to jump to action and at least try to make a difference. That is what makes him a hero.
Watch the video below.
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