Australlian Police Officers Jump Into The Ocean To Save A Drowning Kangaroo

Passersby at Safety Beach in Rosebud, Australia, would have witnessed an usual event had they glanced out at the tide on Saturday. According to People, a kangaroo was determined to swim along the Mornington Peninsula with little luck. The animal had been treading water, only to lose control and get caught up in the raging waters. As he struggled to stay afloat, nearby beach-goers noticed the animal in distress.

Mia Grant, an animal lover who just so happened to spot the struggling kangaroo, attempted to help rescue it from the current. Although she managed to help him out of the water, she needed reinforcements to provide additional care to for the animal. She called the police in hopes they could direct her toward someone who would know how to help injured kangaroos. What she probably didn’t expect, was for the police to show up themselves. Not only did two officers respond to the call, but they ended up having to rescue the animal for yet a second time.

When they approached the injured kangaroo at the location Grant had described, the animal became frightened by their arrival and took off back into the ocean. Once again, his efforts were not successful. As the kangaroo was being tossed about by the strong tide, the officers raced to the water to attempt to persuade it to come back to the shore.

A kangaroo has been rescued from the surf by two police officers in Victoria. The kangaroo began to struggle in the deep water and worried many onlookers who put in the call for help. #7News pic.twitter.com/2NWDUHpUPL

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) October 28, 2018

A video shot by worried onlookers shows sergeants Christopher Russo and Kirby Tonkin jump into the rushing waters to chase after the drowning animal. The waves were so powerful that they almost lost their balance before reaching the kangaroo. As the minutes pass, the officers struggle to grab hold of the animal and at several points he completely disappears from sight. One officer was able to grasp the kangaroos tail just before it went back underwater. With their combined efforts, the officers slowly but surely dragged the animal back to dry land.

Sgt. Russo recounted the ordeal.

“He had less than a minute. He went under and as he came up you could see foam coming out of his nose, he was drowning. I grabbed his tail and Kirby cradled his head and dragged him onto the beach and cleared his lungs to get the water out of him. Then we just started to push on his chest and he started breathing again, I could feel a heartbeat.”

The officers’ quick thinking ultimately saved the poor swimmer’s life.