Going to a zoo and being around animals all day might sound like a lot of fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s without challenges.
Rick Swope expected to be just another ordinary day at the Detroit Zoo, but the unthinkable happened.
The man was standing near the enclosure where the chimpanzees are kept when he saw and heard other zoo visitors screaming.
When he looked inside the enclosure, he saw that one of the chimpanzees had slipped into the moat surrounding this area of the zoo.
Most likely, the chimpanzees chased each other and one of them fell into the water.
The poor animal was in serious danger of drowning and its fate seemed sealed.
But Rick knew it was only a matter of time before the chimpanzee lost all his strength.
So he decided to do something to help the struggling animal.
“It was the most pitiful thing I’ve ever seen,” the hero said.
This chimpanzee had its hands up and its head sticking out of the water. He looked at the crowd.
It was like he wanted someone to save him.
In an act of incredible bravery, the man scaled the perimeter wall and dove into the water to save the chimpanzee who was desperately seeking help in the crowd.
“People were showing me which way it was,” Rick said.
The water was so dirty you couldn’t see through it.
I swam on the bottom. Finally, I found it. He looked pretty bad, but you could tell he was still alive.
He was looking at me. I think he knew what was going on.
The entire rescue was filmed, and it will most likely make your palms sweat.
You can watch the dramatic moment below!
