Man In Wheelchair Saves Panicking 110-Pound Rottweiler Who Can't Get Out Of Pool

Aug 11, 2022

We all need a helping hand sometimes, even animals. This was the case – literally – with Darren Thomas's pet Rottweiler Cassius, who found himself in a bit of a pickle.

On Feb. 21, 2022, Thomas uploaded a video to his Instagram page showing the incident that occurred at his home in Cape Town, South Africa. It started by showing Cassius sitting idly by the family pool. As he turned to leave, he slipped and fell into the water. 

Thomas said he was alone in the house and had been shaving when he heard Cassius's cries for help.

"He fell in the pool and I was the only one home," Thomas said.

Next, the video showed Thomas at the pool attempting to pull the roughly 110-pound canine out, but to no avail.

"I couldn't just pull him out because he is too heavy and I don't have enough leverage in my chair because I'll just go into the pool myself so I had to make another plan because he was getting tired from standing there," he explained.

He added he has "2 Rotties and one thing they are renowned for doing is swimming … well not mine. He cannot or will not swim and won't no matter what we do."

Undeterred, Thomas took his "Big Bear's" paw in hand and slowly moved with him to the other side of the pool where he could use a staircase to climb out.

After 4½ excruciating minutes, Cassius reached the other end of the pool and quickly climbed out, to Thomas's relief.

"When I checked the footage after, I realized he was in there for about 25 minutes before I found him. That's why he was so tired. I just thank God he was big enough to reach the side," he told MailOnline.

Apart from being a great dog dad, Thomas's own story is an inspiration. 

Thomas suffered severe wounds during a house robbery where a group of seven men attacked him. After the altercation, he became a T3 paraplegic as bone fragments from his spine were forced into his spinal cord.

"I weighed like 100 kilos (approximately 220 pounds), I was fit and strong and … one guy stabbed me in the head with a screwdriver … and then the other guy must have shot me point blank in the chest. …It missed my heart one millimeter," Thomas told Jesster Radio.

Despite the traumatic ordeal, Thomas remains grateful he is still here to look after his family, including 5-year-old non-swimmer Cassius.

"I have been doing talks to people and corporates sharing my story and encouraging people that they still have so much to live for regardless of their circumstances and that they are able to fight through adversity and become better on the other side," he said.

"I still have tough days where I don't feel like getting up and facing the day but I have to get up for my kids and my wife to show them that they must never give up and they can get through anything they put their minds to," he added. 

"I've been given a second chance at life and I want to use it to make a difference in other people's lives."

Meanwhile, Thomas has been tickled by the amount of attention Cassius has been receiving. "Who would of thought a video of me saving my dog who absolutely refuses to learn how to swim would go viral like that … and all with me in my underwear and socks to top it off."

Thomas opened up about his incredible story of survival in an interview with East Coast Radio. He explained that after he became a T3 paraplegic, his girlfriend at the time stopped law work to be by his side. He said, "My Faith in God, my girlfriend and my family got me through some very difficult times."

Prior to the life-changing event, Thomas "was a real adrenaline junkie and rode superbikes and Jetskis." So it was a complete change for him. He revealed:

"It was a very tough transition but once I got through the very difficult times I had to start living again."

He and his then-girlfriend got married and had two "miracle children." They moved to Cape Town and since living there he'd been giving talks and sharing his story with others to inspire them too. Thomas added that he's a "family man" that loves spending time with his kids. That also includes his fur babies, so it's no wonder Thomas went above and beyond to help out poor Cassius that fateful day.

And while swimming might not be one of Cassius' favorite pastimes, the sweet Rottweiler has strengths in other sports. Thomas shared a video of Cassius doing "parkour" on his Instagram, as the large dog jumped almost as high as the family's large fence. He captioned the video:

"Cassius likes to see who’s walking by and standing at the gate is not good enough. He needs to cover the full perimeter of the house to make sure they go all the way past.. He gets pretty High and the ppl outside think he’s coming over. My big Baby boy.."

What an incredible story of perseverance and pure love for his pet. How patient and loving was Darren Thomas when he rushed into action to save his beloved dog? Do you have a similar story involving a pet? Let us know and pass this on to all the animal lovers out there and anyone you think might be inspired by Thomas' story!