Boston Resident Bravely Dives Into River to Save Dog
April 26, 2026
A routine jog along the Charles River took a dramatic turn when Boston local Hans Nagrath found himself leaping into frigid waters to rescue his dog, Benny. The heart-stopping incident, which was captured on film, nearly cost him his life.
Hans Nagrath was enjoying a run with his 2-year-old goldendoodle when Benny’s attention was snagged by a pair of geese. The pup dashed towards the river and, without pause, jumped in, pursuing the birds.
“I kept calling, ‘Benny, come back! Benny, come back!’” Nagrath shared with WBZ-TV. “Couldn’t even hear me, didn’t turn around.”
Recognizing the peril his dog was in, Nagrath didn’t hesitate to follow Benny into the river, driven by the strong bond they shared.
“We’ve had him for two years,” Nagrath said. “He’s definitely like a son to us.”
The rescue mission quickly escalated into a hazardous situation with water temperatures around 40 degrees. The biting cold made it challenging for Nagrath to continue swimming as he struggled to catch his breath.
“The wind got knocked out of me. I couldn’t really breathe properly — it was so cold,” he described. “I was about 10 feet from Benny when I was like, ‘Oh God, I can’t move my arms and I don’t know what’s going to happen.’”
Despite waning strength, Nagrath managed to buoy Benny’s hind legs, keeping the dog afloat until they were close enough to a dock for onlookers to assist.
“I was screaming for help,” he recounted. “Someone helped get Benny up and then helped me up.” Bystanders quickly wrapped Benny in a blanket, ensuring both he and Nagrath were safe and unharmed by the ordeal.
Reflecting on the experience, Nagrath acknowledges the intense fear he felt.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life and humbled,” he revealed. “I actually thought I was going to drown.”
Nagrath now wishes he had sought help or found a flotation device before taking the plunge into the river himself.
As for Benny, the incident didn’t deter his enthusiasm for chasing geese.
“On the walk home, he was still ready to chase after geese,” Nagrath said with a chuckle. “And I was like no, this is not happening.”
