The firefighters from FDNY’s Marine 4 boat have a new best friend — Aquaman the dog.
Smoke-eaters patrolling the Harlem River jumped into action Tuesday upon receiving a report that someone had thrown a 2-year-old pit-bull mix off a bridge and into the river around 12:10 p.m.
When they arrived, a good Samaritan who goes by the Instagram handle @Slimshady0321, had found the frightened 62-pound pup submerged in the water under the bridge and had managed to tie the rope around the animal’s leash.
“I was at work today and I was looking down and there was a dog swimming in the water,” the good Samaritan said on his Instagram story, which has videos of how he tried to calm the dog and work with Marine 4 to pull the pooch onto the boat deck. “I called my buddy Mike and (Marine 4) came quick.
Firefighters were able to bring the dog aboard without too much difficulty and took him to shore, “where he could receive the necessary care,” the FDNY said in an Instagram post that had pictures of the save and the happy white and brown pooch. “Without the quick response from both the civilian and FDNY members, the outcome for this animal could have been very different.”
The FDNY handed the dog over to the Animal Care Centers of New York City, which aptly named the dog “Aquaman.”
The dog only suffered a few cuts and bruises from his ordeal, which hasn’t altered his friendly behavior, an AC&C spokeswoman said.
“His tail wags, he takes treats and readily gives kisses,” said the spokeswoman, who added that a line of dog lovers has already formed looking to adopt Aquaman.
“Three of the FDNY involved in the rescue want to adopt,” the spokeswoman said, noting that they will be at the top of the list.
Whoever threw the dog into the river remains at large.
“I hope the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime gets what’s coming to them,” the good Samaritan said.
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