One-year old pitbull Darby saves Dad from shark attack
On a beautiful Summer weekend, a man went fishing off the shore at Bodega Bay, California. He left his dog in the car, his one-year old pit bull named Darby. All the windows were down so Darby could see his owner fishing down the embankment.
The owner, Jim, was quietly enjoying fishing, when suddenly a powerful tug on his line made him aware something big was fighting back. After much effort which took all the strength he had to pull his catch in he was stunned to see it was a shark! James White, a resident of Rohnert Park, California, left home for a relaxing fishing day. He never imaged the adventure that would unfold that day in July.
He looked at the shark laying near his feet and attempted to release it by trying to remove the hook from the shark’s mouth. Nothing prepared Jim for what happened next! The shark, laying there by his feet, suddenly lunged at Jim’s leg and bit him! Immediately there was a huge amount of blood draining from his leg. The shark’s bite hit an artery! Jim called out for help to other people nearby but his dog Darby responded first.
Love wins over fear
Darby heard his owner yelling for help, and no doubt smelled blood! He quickly figured out how to open the door and ran down the embankment towards Jim. When Darby reached Jim, no one else had yet arrived to help. Darby bit into the shark’s gills and the shark only bit down harder on Jim’s leg.
Jim told his dog Darby “No back off!” He wanted his dog to let go of the shark. Darby obeyed, he let go of his bite on the shark for a second to reassess his next move. Darby immediately went for the shark’s tail instead and bit down hard. Amazingly the shark released his bite on Jim’s leg and Darby dragged the shark away from his owner, straight up the embankment!
They were able to save the shark and toss it back into the water. Scars on Jim’s leg are a constant reminder of how his dog saved his leg and maybe even his life! Darby has been part of their family since they first brought him home but now he holds increased admiration in their hearts. Truly this is a story of love winning over fear and making a dog a hero! No truer words have been spoken, “a man’s best friend.”
Source: NBCbayarea.com/Bodega Bay/People.com