Tallahassee man saves dogs from drowning

Tallahassee man saves dogs from drowning

A Tallahassee man saved the lives of two dogs that were trapped under a capsized boat in the Wakulla River on Saturday, July 28, according to Wakulla County Sheriff Donnie Crum. Nigel and Paige Forshay Safe were enjoying a leisurely day canoeing on the Wakulla River when their tranquility was shattered by sounds on the river in front of them. They witnessed a large motor boat with five or six people on board badly listing in the water. “The occupants were in a state of panic and jumping off the boat,” said Paige Safe. “As we approached, the boat completely capsized, leaving only a small portion of the hull exposed.” Concerned boaters at the scene determined that all of the humans were safe but that two dogs were unaccounted for. “Either paralyzed by the incident or shock, the occupants of the boat were unable to dive for their dogs,” said Safe. “We tied our canoe to a cypress tree and Nigel jumped into the water and began to dive under the capsized boat to retrieve and save the two dogs.” The capsized boat continued to float down the river at the same time Nigel was attempting to locate the first missing dog. He grabbed the scared and frantic animal despite getting scratched by the animal’s claws and brought him to safety. The second dog was smaller and more difficult to locate and Nigel did not know the layout of the vessel. But after a few more minutes passed, the second dog was brought to the surface. The humans and animals were reunited and “wet, cold and scared, the dog owners were very relieved and thankful about the outcome,” said Paige Safe. “I think the whole ordeal was probably over in about 15 minutes, but it felt like it took an eternity.” During the excitement, WCSO Lt. Sherrell Morrison responded to the scene and grabbed a ride from another boater and arrived at the incident scene. Lt. Morrison, a self professed dog lover added, “I was already soaking wet. I would have dived in for the dogs too.” The first emergency call was received at the sheriff’s office at 5:42 p.m. and the final all clear was received at 6:12 p.m. “Nigel’s persistence paid off,” Self concluded. “Both dogs were in good shape.”

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