Man Risks His Life To Save Dog From Icy River In Dramatic Rescue Caught On Camera

April 26, 2026

A quick run along the Charles River turned into a dramatic, life-or-death rescue caught on camera when a Boston man jumped into the icy water to save his beloved dog — and nearly didn’t make it back out himself.

Hans Nagrath was out running with his 2-year-old goldendoodle, Benny, when the energetic pup suddenly spotted two geese and bolted toward the river. Before Nagrath could stop him, Benny had leaped into the water and started swimming after the birds.

“I kept calling, ‘Benny, come back! Benny, come back!’” Nagrath told WBZ-TV. “Couldn’t even hear me, didn’t turn around.”

For Nagrath, watching helplessly from shore was not an option. Benny is family.

“We’ve had him for two years,” he said. “He’s definitely like a son to us.”

Fearing the dog would drown, Nagrath rushed into the Charles River after him. But the rescue quickly became dangerous. The water temperature was around 40 degrees, and after several minutes of swimming, the cold began to take over.

“The wind got knocked out of me. I couldn’t really breathe properly — it was so cold,” he said. “I was about 10 feet from Benny when I was like, ‘Oh God, I can’t move my arms and I don’t know what’s going to happen.’”

Even as his strength faded, Nagrath kept fighting to keep Benny afloat. Unable to fully grab the dog, he pushed up Benny’s hind legs whenever the pup started to sink.

Eventually, the pair made it close enough to a pier for bystanders to step in.

“I was screaming for help,” Nagrath said. “Someone helped get Benny up and then helped me up.” People nearby wrapped Benny in a blanket to help warm him up after the terrifying ordeal. Thankfully, both man and dog survived without serious injuries.

Looking back, Nagrath admits the panic of the moment took over.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life and humbled,” he said. “I actually thought I was going to drown.”

He now says he wishes he had first asked someone nearby to call 911 or find a flotation device before jumping in himself.

As for Benny? The near-disaster apparently didn’t change his feelings about geese.

“On the walk home, he was still ready to chase after geese,” Nagrath said. “And I was like no, this is not happening.”