Teenager Gets A Second Chance At Life As Blind Rescue Dog Saves Her From Drowning

A blind labrador retriever, Norman, saved a teenage girl from drowning. Norman was still a puppy when his family abandoned him at a shelter back in 1993. The dog was scheduled to be euthanized at the shelter when Annette McDonald of Seaside, Oregon, saw him and adopted him a day before he was to be put to sleep.

Annette discovered Norman's vision was deteriorating shortly after rescuing him, and it didn't take long before he completely became blind. However, despite losing his vision, he remained a happy dog.

Norman's favorite activities included playing at a beach near Necanicum River. One day in July 1996, Annette skipped work and took him to the beach, but he started acting strangely when they got there. He sprinted off down the beach, started swimming, and wouldn't stop despite Annette's pleas.

Unknown to Annette, a 15-year-old girl, Lisa Nibley, was swimming in the river with her brother Joe when a tide came and swept them upstream. Joe succeeded in swimming back to shore, but Lisa was caught in the current and running out of strength. Lisa was screaming for help, but she was too far away for anyone to hear – except for Norman.

Norman followed Lisa's voice and swam to her. Lisa then grabbed onto his collar, and they swam safely back to shore.