A golden retriever leaped into the ocean to save a drowning deer during a morning walk on a Long Island beach, according to a video captured by the dog’s owner.
Mark Freeley, the dog’s owner, told NBC New York that he had been taking his dog, Storm, for a walk along PJ Harbor around 8 a.m. Sunday, when Storm jumped into the water to swim after something.
The video shows the dog swimming to shore while grabbing a large fawn in its mouth.
Once Storm made it to shore, he placed the deer on the sand. The deer struggled to stand up, so the dog carried the deer farther inland by the rocks.
The dog lay the fawn down on the rocky area, licking and nudging the deer in attempts to revive it.
The deer appeared to be breathing, so Storm and his owner stayed with it until a veterinarian and a representative from Strong Island Animal Rescue showed up, WTVT reports.
The vet took the fawn to her car, and the animal is being treated. Although covered in ticks and suffering from an eye injury, the fawn is expected to make a full recovery, RNN reports.
Freeley’s Facebook video has amassed more than 1.5 million views and more than 36,000 shares as of Monday afternoon.