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Dog chase prompts island rescue in Prospect Park Lake

Dog chase prompts island rescue in Prospect Park Lake
Photo by Paul Martinka

A Prospect Park pooch caused an ocean of trouble for his owner on Thursday morning when, chasing a duck, he prompted her to jump into the park’s lake, necessitating an aquatic rescue.

Amy Graves was walking her dog Benji, a pit bull mix, in the Peninsula area of the park during a designated leash-free time, when Benji spied a family of ducks. The pooch took off like a shot and chased the birds into the lake, suddenly uninhibited by his usual aqua-phobia.

“He’s never gone for ducks before, and he usually hates water,” said Graves, who lives in nearby Windsor Terrace. “Pit bulls are hunters, though, and he was just being totally relentless.”

Graves did her best to convince the dog to return to shore, but he merrily continued his pursuit, a witness said.

“The lady was calling the dog, but he was chasing the ducks all over,” said Paulette Davis, who was walking in the park with her son saw the commotion. “I think she was going home, but the dog didn’t want to go home.”

Graves decided her only recourse was to jump in after the dog.

Graves can swim, but she said she’s no expert, and her waterlogged sneakers began to weigh her down.

Mistaking her flailing for that of a drowning victim, Davis called 911, at 8:09 am, according to fire officials.

Meanwhile, in the water, Graves finally caught up with Benji on Duck Island.

No longer far from land, she was hoping to slink quietly back to shore and escape embarrassment, but Davis’s good Samaritanism kept that from happening.

“I heard sirens, and when I crossed the island I saw so many fire trucks and cops, and they were all looking for me,” she said.

Emergency medical personnel launched a small motor boat and steered it to the island, where they scooped up a bedraggled Graves and her mischievous pet.

Graves appreciated the help, but she said the real hero of the day was the mother duck, who never flew off and defended her babies from a bloodthirsty Benji.

“She kept herself between them the whole time, flapping her wings at him instead of flying off,” Graves said. “She was a really heroic duck.”

Reach reporter Noah Hurowitz at [email protected] or by calling (718) 260-4505. Follow him on Twitter @noahhurowitz
Reunion: A bashful Amy Graves embraces Steven German, who called in what he thought was her drowning when she chased her pit bull into Prospect Park Lake.
Photo by Paul Martinka