MAY 20 (Reuters) — Dramatic video from Colombia on Wednesday (May 20) as police officers in the country’s landslide-ravaged northwest mountain region plucked a dog to safety after it fell into the dangerous currents of the swollen Liboriana River.
Two police officers on patrol in Salgar spotted the animal flailing in the water and ran by the animal as he was swept down by the rushing waters. Taking a risk himself, one officer jumped into the river and winched the dog to safety.
According to local media, the dog had suffered injuries from rocks and debris in the river but is expected to make a fully recovery.
Others in Salgar have not been as lucky as this dog. More than 60 people have been killed after a landslide saw mud and water crash onto homes in the worst disaster of its kind for a decade. With many more still missing, the death toll is expected to rise even further. (Salgar, Antioquia, Colombia)