Dog saves 81-year-old wheelchair bound man's life by letting bystanders know he was drowning

Port St. Lucie, Fl – An 81-year-old wheelchair-bound man taking his dog for a walk ended up falling into a lake. Nobody saw it except for his dog who began barking and alerting people nearby.

The Port St. Lucie Police department gave the following account of the ordeal:

Mr. Smith took his dog for a walk near the lake in the 100-Blk of SW Twig Ave when his electric wheelchair lost traction, causing him to slide down the bank and flip off his wheelchair into lake.

Mr. Smith began to yell for help as he could not swim and struggled to stay afloat. Sensing his owner was in trouble, his dog began to bark loudly which alerted 2 bystanders across the street. The bystanders rushed over to the lake and flagged down PSLPD Officer Doty who was driving on Airoso Blvd.

Officer Doty exited his patrol vehicle and observed Mr. Smith was submerged up to his neck in the water. The 2 bystanders and Officer Doty worked together to pull him out of the water and up the bank. Mr. Smith received medical attention on scene and was ok to return home. Due to his electric wheelchair being damaged from falling in the water, Officer Doty and St. Lucie County Fire District assisted by pushing him back to his house.

We are thankful for Mr. Smith’s dog and the 2 bystanders that helped save his life! And as the saying remains true…A man’s best friend is his dog.

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