A South Carolina man has taken his love for his pet to the limit – sacrificing his own life trying to save the canine from the rapid waters of Rainbow Falls, North Carolina, in the US on Saturday.
Charleston-born John Shaffer (42), who was visiting the park with his wife, slipped down the falls after chasing after his dog and jumping into the water to rescue the canine, US Forest Service spokeswoman Cathy Dowd told Citizen Times.
"He was in the river about 100 feet (30m) away from the top of the falls when he slipped and was caught in the current, which carried him over the falls," she said.
She also noted that there were sufficient warnings around the waterfall about the dangerous, slippery conditions of the waterfall.
John was found on Sunday by Lake Toxaway fire chief Carmon West, who estimated that the falls are around 150 feet (46m) high, reports Daily Mail.
According to West, the search took more than five hours and employed the help of about 35 people.
The last reported incident at the falls occurred in 2016 when a young news anchor named Taylor Terrell, lost her footing while paddling in the water.
According to Fox 8, there has been no word yet on whether John’s dog has been rescued.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, myfox8.com, citizen-times.com