Did you know that three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic? Two escaped on lifeboats and one was a hero!
Two lapdogs, a Pomeranian owned by Miss Margaret Hays of New York and a Pekinese owned by Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family, boarded early lifeboats in the arms of their owners. The boats were so empty that no one complained!
The first officer's large Newfoundland, Rigel, stayed behind with the ship. He was swimming in the icy waters after the sinking, desperate to find his master.
At the same time, the SS Carpathia was speeding to the scene to search for survivors. In the darkness, no one saw that a lifeboat was in its path and the passengers were too weak to exclaim.
Rigel swam between the lifeboat and the SS Carpathia, barking continuously. Finally, the Captain heard Rigel and ordered all engines stopped. The dog then guided the lifeboat through the night to safety.
Once on board, Rigel seemed physically unaffected by his ordeal. He stood with paws on the rail barking in futility for his lost master until he was taken below for food and medical attention.
Isn't that amazing, it's a really neat story! What do you think...?
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