Raden Soemawinata went through an extremely difficult time. At the Brighton Pier in Melbourne should the ashes of his grandmother be scattered in the sea. It was a terrible moment in his life that many of us can relate to. But while he was there, something happened that completely changed the course of the day. He had the opportunity to save a life while saying goodbye to a life.
It was at the time when he was stɪʟʟ at the pier that a tiny Maltese-shih tzu ended up in the water. His name is Bibi and he was so tiny that the strong winds coming across the bay pusʜᴇᴅ him off of the pier and right into the water. His owner, Sue Drummond, was in a panic, fᴇᴀʀing that her darling little dog would ᴅʀᴏᴡɴ.
Without hesitation, Soemawinata quickly stripped ᴅᴏᴡɴ to his shirt and underwear and jumped into the water to sᴀᴠᴇ the sᴄᴀʀed pup, while a ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs Drummond and other passersby watched. Bibi was sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ in the water but luckily Soemawinata was able to snatch him up and bring him back to the pier.
He was reᴡᴀʀded with a big hug from Drummond, who was overjoyed to have her little friend back and safe. She probably never imagined that this could have happened but one thing is certain. Without Soemawinata, poor Bibi may have ᴅʀᴏᴡɴed. Drummond says she hesitated to jump in the water after him because she wasn’t sure if she’d make it to shore with a sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟɪɴɢ dog.
Without Soemawinata, the outcome would have been very different. Bibi is a small dog and may not have been able to get to safety. Soemawinata is now considered a hero, and not just because he was in the right place at the right time. He also noticed something and acted. His quick action saved a life and made a dog owner happy.
