Bystanders were stunned when a man leapt into Boston’s freezing water — until they saw what he was after

On April 20, bystanders along the Charles River were shocked to see a young man jump into the 40-degree river until they found out why. Well, real estate agent Hans Nagrath shared his near-death experience after a video of him jumping into the river to save his drowning dog, Benny, went viral on social media. You can watch his interview on CBS Boston (@cbsboston), which has received over 224,000 views on YouTube.

His impromptu adventure

Nagrath was out for a run on Marathon Monday with his 2-year-old goldendoodle when Benny, distracted by two geese, plunged into the water while chasing them. The real estate agent panicked at the mere thought of losing his dog. Terrified, he glanced around for help but, moments later, jumped into the near-freezing river to rescue his struggling child. As soon as he dove into the river, Nagrath realized it was a bad decision because he could barely move his arms in the icy water. "I couldn't really breathe properly — it was so cold. I was about 10 feet from Benny when I was like, 'Oh God, I can't move my arms, and I don't know what's going to happen,'" he recalled.

'I was going to drown'

By the time Nagrath reached Benny, he had almost lost all his energy, but he somehow managed to rescue his dog and then paddle to the pier. Fortunately, a good Samaritan saw the duo struggling and pulled both Benny and his dad out of the water. Nagrath described this experience as one of the scariest in his life, saying, "I don't think I've ever been more scared in my life and humbled. I actually thought I was going to drown." After reaching the shore, Nagrath said he reflected on his impulsive decision and wished he had considered an alternative way to rescue Benny.

While the horrifying incident left a traumatic impact on the pet parent, his little dog seemed unbothered. In fact, Nagrath said on their way back home, Benny was still insisting on chasing the geese. "…and I was like, no, this is not happening," he added. Interestingly, the pet parent joked that he believes his dog purposefully jumped into the water to get back at Nagrath for leaving him for about 10 days during his wedding. 

What would dog parents do?

In 2021, a survey (commissioned by JustFoodForDogs) across 2,000 American dog owners found that 72% of the respondents would put themselves in danger to save their pets. Moreover, of the 2,000 participants, 78% consider their dogs family. It means Nagrath's decision to save his dog must have been impulsive, but he's not the only one who can go above and beyond to ensure his fur baby's safety. In fact, he has had Benny for two years now, and he said the dog has become more like a son than only a pet. 

People in the comment section were relieved that the story ended on a good note rather than a tragedy. Some also emphasized the importance of keeping pets on a leash. For instance, @darrtrubb wrote, "Another reason to keep your dog on a leash and under your control at all times." @catherinec2967 shared, "Labradoodles are water-loving retrievers. Instinct makes them act like that, and they must be kept on a leash in these kinds of environments. I’m glad they are both ok, and I’m glad he learned a valuable lesson about keeping your dog on a leash."

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