COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A new recruit on the lifeguard crew at a local state park isn't who you might expect. A four-legged friend joined the team, and she's already making waves.
When Kelby the canine lifeguard puts on her goggles and life vest, she's ready to get to work.
Kelby, a two-and-a-half-year-old Newfoundland, has been training to save lives since she was 12 weeks old.
Kelby is a lifeguard at Beltzville State Park, and she made her fourth rescue on Sunday, helping to save a man's life.
Park officials say the man was in distress in the water when Kelby responded, and she helped him get safely aboard their boat.
"We were out on the boat close to him. We immediately responded. I got in the water, I brought Kelby with me. We were able to stabilize him in the water and bring him back to our boat, and he didn't require any further treatment or first aid. It was a very lucky situation that we were right there when it happened," American Academy of K9 Water Rescue President George Abraham told 28/22 News.
Those who witnessed the rescue say it was unlike anything they've ever seen.
"I saw the dog go in, the dog had goggles on and everything, and he hops right on the boat, hops off the boat, helps the guy identify everything, and it was just really cool to see," New Jersey resident Kaileigh Netland said.
Her impressive abilities wowed the crowd, but Kelby's skills don't stop at water rescue.
"She's an instructor with our organization; she's actually able to teach the other dogs how to do the tasks and how to do the drills," Abraham added.
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Those enjoying the park can usually find Kelby on the boat with Abraham as she keeps a watchful eye.
"Kelby's very in tune to everything in this park; she's been doing this for a couple years now. She knows what is normal and what isn't, and as soon as she sees something, she'll be very quick to alert us to it, and then we can react and deploy," Abraham continued.
With Kelby's help, Beltzville State Park can stay a safe place to enjoy the summer sun.
"It's our job as lifeguards and water rescue personnel to help everyone in the community be safe around the water. Everyone likes to come out and have a good time; we want everyone to go home with those memories, not a memory of having an incident at the lake," Abraham said.
It won't be long before Kelby has some help too. The program is currently training younger dogs to become just as skillful as she is.
