A bystander with a big heart is being credited with saving a beloved pet after she jumped into the frigid waters off the Ambleside dog park to guide a disoriented dog to safety.
"This lady was so brave," said owner Sylvia Taylor, who was relieved to be reunited with her Labrador retriever Hemmingway back on shore. "She just dove in and swam way out into the river."
The doggie drama unfolded on a recent Sunday evening after Taylor took her nine-year-old dog - named Hemmingway, because "he likes hunting, fishing, eating and drinking" - to the popular dog park in West Vancouver.
When Hemmingway swims in the ocean, Taylor usually guides him around to rinse off in the fresh water at the mouth of the Capilano River, just off the park, she said.
But his time, Hemmingway spotted some seals splashing in the mouth of the river and took off after them, swimming far from shore. "Any sense he has went right out the window," she said.
Taylor said she tried calling and calling Hemmingway to get him to come back, but instead, he chased the seals farther into the river.
"It seemed like about an hour" that Hemmingway was in the water, she said. "I was really worried."
Eventually a crowd gathered, all trying to lure the confused canine back to shore.
Taylor said she couldn't go into the water to get the dog because "I don't swim," she said. "I was raised on the prairies."
It was at that moment that Mitra Parizgar of North Vancouver and her son Sam happened on the scene.
Parizgar said the dog looked disoriented and tired in the water, and she could tell the dog's owner was upset.
"I was a lifeguard back in my 20s, and I'm a strong swimmer," she said. "I felt I could help."
Although it wasn't exactly swimming weather, Parizgar took off her shoes and socks and leapt in to the river mouth after the dog.
The water was cold, she said, and the current was strong.
She swam upstream towards Hemmingway, and after about 20 minutes managed to get the dog's attention by calling his name in a quiet, calm voice.
Eventually, he turned and allowed himself to be guided back to shore.
Parizgar said she was just happy to help out.
"She was a very humble hero," said Taylor.
As for Hemmingway, "He was very sheepish," said Taylor. "We had to hold on to him. It looked like he wanted to go back in."
