Ruby, a German Shepherd, barked until someone noticed and called for help.
A South England man who fainted and fell into an 8-foot-deep ditch was rescued thanks to his newly adopted German Shepherd.
“She really is our hero,” Peter Bradley, of Dorset, said in a statement.
Bradley and his partner had recently adopted Ruby, a 5-year-old German Shepherd, from animal shelter Dogs Trust Salisbury.
Bradley had taken Ruby on a walk when his blood pressure dropped and he fainted suddenly.
“I woke up and had no idea where I was or what had happened,” he said. “I could feel my boots filling up with water but could not find the strength to move.”
He had fallen into an 8-foot-deep ditch and struggled to get out.
“Once I found some strength, I tried to climb out, but I could not as the sides were wet,” Bradley said.
Thankfully, Ruby stood by the ditch and barked relentlessly for attention until passersby noticed and came to help.
Bradley arrived home safely, but he was not out of the clear.
“I must have fainted again at home as the next thing I knew, my friend was beside me,” he said. “He found me out like a light and Ruby lying over me.”
Bradley said Ruby continued to stay vigilant by his side until paramedics arrived and was given a clean bill of health.
“We are glad he is now doing well, and that Ruby’s barking helped him get the life-saving attention he needed,” said a spokesperson with the animal shelter. “Ruby was always a firm favorite amongst staff here at the rescue center and we are all thrilled to learn that she has helped save a life out in the community.
