Extraordinary footage has emerged of a brave woman jumping into Sydney Harbour to rescue a small dog who fell into the icy water.
The woman rushed to remove her trousers and boots before diving into the shark-infested harbour at Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf in the east of the city at around lunchtime on Monday.
The drama unfolded less than 2 kilometres from where former navy diver Paul de Gelder lost several limbs when he was attacked by a shark in 2009.
Colin, who was visiting Sydney from Newcastle, was enjoying lunch with his partner at the popular pier when he saw the woman take a dip in the water.
“There were two dogs running loose and one of them misjudged the edge and fell into the water,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“My partner saw it first. He saw the adorable dogs and freaked out when he saw one of them fall.”
The owner watched in horror as her dog began to swim, possibly looking for a way to get back up.
“The dog swam away from the owner and towards the marina boats on the other side, where the marina clean-up diver’s arm and leg were torn off by a shark,” Colin said.
A woman jumped into Sydney Harbour at Woolloomooloo to rescue a small dog that fell into the water
The woman quickly swam to the dog, rescued the animal and brought it to shore.
“The owner panicked and went to where the stairs are, but she started filming or making video calls. It was strange.”
Before the shocked owner could think of what to do next, a brave woman spotted the terrified pup in the harbor and jumped in.
“There were some heroes queuing up, but the woman just stripped down and jumped in. She dove straight in and was a fantastic swimmer,” Colin said.
‘I come from a family of swimmers and you could tell he had a background in swimming or lifeguarding by the way he cradled the dog and swam back with him.
“She left quickly and returned quickly.”
‘She was an exceptional swimmer and always kept an eye out for sharks when she went to get the dog.’
Witnesses ran to a nearby restaurant to find tablecloths for the soaked woman and dog to dry off on.
The owner (pictured in red, across the water) ran to her dog after the woman handed it to witnesses to dry off.
“I think some people were standing in line and patted him on the back,” Colin said.
“It almost looked like a trap, but it clearly wasn’t. Many men started coming up when they rescued the dog to see her and help cover her up.
‘I went to share the vision with him so he could see it because what he did was incredible, but he had already gotten carried away by all the people who were queuing up.’
The owner was reunited with her dog and thanked the woman for the brave rescue.
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