- Shannon left her beloved puppy, Chilli to go to work at a high-end restaurant on Sydney Harbour
- Shortly after she arrived, she heard a crowd yelling that there was a puppy metres out, struggling to stay afloat
- Acting on instinct, Shannon stripped off to her undies and plunged into the freezing, shark-infested water
- She swam out to the dog, popped it on her shoulder and paddled it safely back to the wharf as onlookers cheered her on
- The puppy was safely returned to its grateful owner and afterwards a video of Shannon’s brave rescue went viral online
- Shannon Clark, from Woolloomooloo, NSW, shares how she was hailed a hero…
My puppy wagged its tail as I knelt down for a cuddle.
“Love you, Chilli,” I told her. My two-year-old mini dachshund was my pride and joy, and it always pained me to leave her.
It was August 2024, and I was heading to my job as the office manager at a high-end restaurant on Sydney Harbour.
As I arrived, staff were preparing to open for lunch. I was sifting through emails at reception when I clocked a commotion outside. A small crowd had gathered on the wharf and, curious, I stepped out.
“There’s a puppy in the water!” someone yelled.
I raced to the edge.
Twenty meters out, a King Charles spaniel, weighed down by his jacket, was frantically trying to keep his head above water.
On the opposite wharf, the owner was calling out desperately to the puppy.
I had to act!
Read more: Hero husky saved my life!
I couldn’t go back to work dripping wet, so I kicked off my shoes and pants before climbing down the ladder.
Plunging into the freezing water was overwhelming, but I could hear the puppy yelping.
No backing out now, I resolved.
As I swam over, the dog paddled to me. Popping him over my shoulder, I side-stroked back to the ladder.
People were filming and cheering. “You’re a hero, Shannon!” my workmates called.
Suddenly, I became conscious that I only had tiny underwear on below!
Please let it stay in place, I prayed as I ascended the ladder. Fortunately, a colleague was waiting with a tablecloth to wrap me in.
I handed the shivering puppy to another workmate.
Racing inside to put on my pants and a dry jumper, I didn’t get to meet the dog’s owner. I tried to return to my work, but staff kept reliving it all.
“Weren’t you scared of sharks?” one waiter asked.
I’d been so focused, sharks hadn’t occurred to me, even though I knew there’d been attacks in the area.
After work, I gave Chilli the biggest cuddle, vowing I’d always protect her.
Next day, a colleague said the puppy’s owner had returned during the night shift to thank me and explain what’d happened.
“She’d been sitting on a wooden barrier near the edge,” he relayed. “The dog jumped over expecting more wharf on the other side but it was the water.”
I would’ve liked to meet her, but was pleased to hear the dog was safe and warm.
A video of the rescue got onto TikTok and to news outlets. Over the coming days, I was stopped by strangers in the street.
“You’re the dog rescuer,” one said, beaming.
“That was amazing!” said another.
A friend from Italy even told me the video was doing the rounds there!
Commenters described me as a hero, but I was just acting on instinct.
I’d do anything to rescue a dog in danger. Clearly.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
