Friday May 8 in Paris, a dog fell into the Seine, to the great dismay of its master. The scene is located near the François-Mitterrand Library, in the 13th arrondissement, around 6 p.m. Quickly around ten walkers stop to help this little black dog, who then struggles against the current, while his two peers, remaining on the quay, threaten to join him. On site, panic quickly gives way to mutual aid.
Among these witnesses, Roland, 29, told the newspaper Le Parisien that he saw a man running towards the animal in distress before the situation degenerated. “The owner started to panic, it was a bit of chaos and people gathered together to try to find solutions“, he confides. In a few minutes, this dog that fell into the Seine, saved by passers-by, becomes the center of an incredible outpouring of solidarity, which will transform a simple evening of walk into a scene of collective rescue.
A precise rescue to get the dog out of the Seine
On the platform, the master, disabled by a shoulder injury, cannot go down to retrieve his dog himself. The animal slides against the wall of algae and becomes exhausted, while its two companions bark and pull on the leash. Around ten people come closer, call out to the master, speak to the dog to reassure him and look for a holding point on the concrete wall.
The witnesses spotted a metal chain a little further on the wall. They guide the dog there, which whimpers in fear. A young man lies down at the edge of the platform, another holds his legs: the improvised human chain grabs the animal by the harness and hoists it up to applause.
From the video of the dog that fell into the Seine to the right reflexes to adopt
Once the dog is placed on the concrete, soaked but alive, the tension subsides. The animal finds its two congeners under caresses, while its owner hugs the young man down to the water’s edge. The video shot by Roland, posted online on TikTok then taken up by several media outlets, continues to circulate and makes these anonymous people one-night saviors.
This filmed rescue now has several hundred thousand views on social networks.
This adventure offers simple trails for dog owners. It is better to guide the animal towards a ladder, ramp or chain rather than diving, and call for help at the emergency numbers 18 and 112 indicated by the official Service-Public.fr website if the situation seems out of control.
On this bank in the 13th arrondissement, strangers took a measured risk for an animal they did not know. This dog pulled from the Seine by simple passers-by reminds us that in the middle of Parisian concrete, spontaneous mutual aid still exists.