Surfer Matt Smolenski Rescues Drowning Dog from Michigan Riptide
Big barks to Matt!!!!
Thanks to MLive.com for this great news!
Drowning dog gets surfboard ride to shore
Posted by Lisa Medendorp September 12, 2007Photo courtesy of Don and Joan Dobbin
The waves on Lake Michigan Tuesday afternoon “were about as big as they get,” surfer Matt Smolenski said.
And the rip current along the Grand Haven pier was “really strong.”
One of those big waves swept a man’s dog off the pier around 2:30 p.m., and it was Smolenski who rode a wave in to save the struggling pet, said off-duty Muskegon Heights police officer Royce Rodgers, who witnessed the rescue.
Smolenski, 25, of Grand Haven “was able to grab the dog’s collar,” said Rodgers. “He put the dog up on his surfboard and the dog rode the surfboard in to shore.”“When I got to the dog, it wasn’t dog-paddling anymore,” Smolenski said.
While Smolenski said he didn’t know the dog’s owner, he was familiar with the man and his four-legged companion because they regularly head for the pier when the waves are big.
“I’ve watched the dog about a million times. He barks at the waves and then jumps back when they wash up on the pier,” Smolenski said, adding that he was surprised the black and brown mixed-breed animal wound up in the water.
Rodgers said he had taken his own dog, Buster, out on the pier on a leash. He said the man with the other dog, which was unleashed, came out about the same time he did.
But Rodgers said he and his dog stopped about halfway out because “the waves were too big.” The other dog owner, who has a disability, continued on with his pet.
“I was just watching the waves coming up one after another, and I witnessed an especially big wave wash up on the pier,” Rodgers said.
That wave caught the dog owner first and “knocked him off his feet,” Rodgers said, then knocked the dog into the water.
“The dog was trying to swim, but the waves were very large. It was struggling,” Royce said. “The owner was screaming for the dog.”
Smolenski saw the familiar dog owner, then said something to his surfing buddy, Joe Riopelle, 24, also of Grand Haven, like: “Oh man, that guy’s dog went in. I’m going to go for it.”
Smolenski rode in on the surfboard on his stomach, then rolled off the board when he got close to the dog. “I realized I was not going in (to shore) without that dog,” he said. “That dog is that guy’s best friend.”
Smolenski got the 30- to 40-pound dog onto his surfboard and he stayed in the water, fighting the strong current to get to shore.
“I got pretty tired,” he said. “I had a hard time getting in myself.” He was joined by Riopelle, who helped both to shore.
The rescue took “a good five or six minutes,” Rodgers said, adding that he didn’t think the dog, which looked “pretty old,” could have lasted much longer.
Once the rescue party was on shore, the dog’s owner gave the surfer “a high five and said: ‘Thank you, brother,’ then left so fast I couldn’t get his name,” Rodgers said.
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This is just great! Matt did a pretty good job there (i like surfers anyway)
What a wonderful story! Bless you Matt
What a wonderful story. Matt saved a life and hopefully the community will rally around this and honor him. He is definately on my list of HERO OF THE MONTH. Such a blessing that the dog’s guardian angel was surfing that day! Pita and Bob
I love happy endings!!!!!!!!!! GREAT JOB MATT!!!!!!
Thank you so much, Matt….may God bless you for your unselfish wonderful act!!!
Hugs, Woody
We rate this 5+++++++ WOOFS A huge THANK YOU from the the Great Northwest.
(You two Matt Smolenski and Joe Riopelle could have easily just stood there and debated if the life was viable or if the dog would have many years left if you did rescue it. Or you could have called for a committee meeting to validate if this is real, etc…Then there would be that old bug-a-boo who would raise the funds for such a thing, it needs to be budgeted..etc…)
we say, in happy thanks,with tears in our eyes and chills up our spine…….OH THANK GOD REAL LIVE AMERICAN HEROS STILL SURVIVE IN THE HEARTLAND CALLED GOOD OLE USA THE LAND THAT I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for restoring my Faith,Hope,& Love in our USA.
Nickolas & MaryEllen
Woof!!
Mom heard an interview with him this morning on the radio in Detroit! What a great guy!
It’s so nice, with so many other horrible stories of people doing the unthinkable to animals, to hear of someone going out of his way, risking his own life, to save the life of a dog he doesn’t even know!
What a great story! I commend you Matt on your love of animals! We hear so many sad stories about people abusing animals it just thrills me to hear things like this. Thanks again Matt, your a true hero!
We just love people like Matt and Joe! What heros!
Thank’s for the great story!
We just emailed Mayor Bergman of Grand Haven asking that Matt and Joe receive some sort of recognition for their heroic act.
rbergman@grandhaven.org
Way to go Matt! You are a true Hero. May nothing but good things happen to you.
Way to go Matt!! We’re both afraid of water and sure hope you are around if we ever get swept in!!
what an awesome guy. if only there were more people like matt out there!
The dog is Shelby and the owner is Jack. I have gotten to know this pair over the past few years. Jack is a disabled vetern using an artifial leg so he had no way of going in after this wondeful dog. Yes surfers and kiters are the best. I consider Jack and his pal Shelby friends.