In 2009, when 20-year-old Raden Soemawinata arrived at the Brighton Pier to scatter his grandmother’s ashes, he had no idea he would be saving a life.
On that day, a woman named Sue Brighton was also visiting the pier with her Maltese-Shih Tzu cross, Bibi.
Winds in this area are known to be strong, sometimes traveling as fast as 60 miles per hour, and, unfortunately, Sue’s dog Bibi was unexpectedly blown off the pier.
The little pup tries to paddle back towards the pier but is no match for the water’s rough currents. Sue later describes the event to Daily Mail UK, saying:
“I thought he was going to sink and then maybe I wouldn’t be able to find him. But I didn’t really want to hop in the water either because I wasn’t quite sure if I could make it to shore with a struggling dog.”
Luckily for Sue and Bibi, Raden was on the scene. The 20-year-old model, seeing the dog struggling in the water, immediately strips his clothes off and prepares to jump in.
He describes the event to Daily Mail UK:
“It was pretty cold and windy, but it wasn’t such a hard decision to jump in, it wasn’t such a great feat. I’m a part-time model, so getting into my jocks isn’t so different to what I do for work,” he jokes.
After removing his clothes, Raden lowers himself into the cold water and swims towards Bibi.
He somehow manages to get a grasp on the small, struggling pup. Holding the dog’s body against his own, the young model then swims back to the pier, bringing them both to safety.
He stretches out his arms, returning the quivering Bibi to her owner as he tries to catch his breath.
Raden’s selfless rescuing of Bibi the dog earned him fans from all over the world. After the rescue, Twitter was abuzz with users praising both his big heart and good looks.
This young man exemplifies what’s best in humankind. Bravo, Raden Soemawinata, for your humanity/bravery. Give this man some modeling work! https://t.co/WYJUwcgiHS
— Susan Sandals (@MomintheMix57) June 30, 2017
Raden Soemawinata omg hot guys saving a drowning dog <3
— Althea Ilagan (@qwertheaa) September 9, 2013
The BRAVE MAN who saved Bibi the dog in Melbourne was
?❤️?❤️?Raden Soemawinata?❤️?❤️?
Giving ashes of his Grandma 2 the waters heSpottedBibi— Vivian Kubrick (@ViKu1111) August 30, 2014
Good job, Rayden!
If you’re looking for another happy animal story, check out this one about a fisherman helping a mama stingray give birth!
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