Mateo Akerman had been at the Newport Beach on June 18 at Balboa Island with his friends, when he became quite the young sensation. The 15-year-old is currently being praised as a hero after he jumped into the busy marina to rescue a dog that was tired from paddling and struggling to keep his head above water.
According to the teen, he and his friends spotted a dog wandering near traffic in the area before jumping into the water. The dog, later identified as George, had paddled out too far and appeared to be frantically struggling trying to paddle back to shore on his own.
That’s when Akerman, without hesitation jumped into the water. He quickly swam to reach George and initially tried to guide the dog back to shore, but George was too exhausted to continue and stopped swimming.
That’s when Akerman cuddled George in his arms and carried the dog back to the safety of the land. Ackerman and his friends wrapped the shivering and frightened George in a towel to help warm him up and called the number listed on George’s collar to contact his owner.
The group remained with the dog until the owner arrived, and George was safely reunited with his family. There were no injuries, and after a short recovery time, George seemed to be fine.
Many thanks to this young hero and everything he represents that keep us convinced angels really do look over us, and heroes don’t always have to wear capes.
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