HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — A woman and her dog were rescued after struggling to stay afloat in the Intracoastal Waterway near Hallandale Beach.

Police say it happened Thursday evening after the dog jumped into the water. The woman went in moments later trying to save it.

Dimitry Shaposhnikov and his wife witnessed the incident from across the water.

“I don’t know what’s going on. She goes, ‘No, no, no, there’s someone in the water,’” Shaposhnikov said.

They watched as first responders worked to pull both the woman and her large dog out, using ladders and floating devices during the rescue.

Shaposhnikov said low tide made it difficult for the woman to get out on her own.

“I guess she jumped in because the dog was trying to come out. It was low tide, so at that point for her to even get somewhere was almost impossible. I didn’t even see a ladder or anything to come up, so she was stuck,” he said.

Once back on land, the dog shook off the water and wagged its tail while the woman climbed up a ladder to safety.

Shaposhnikov praised first responders for how they handled the situation.

“It wasn’t chaotic at all. Law enforcement and first responders handled it extremely professionally. You could see everyone was super calm,” he said.

No one was hurt.

Hallandale Beach police say the incident is a reminder to keep pets on leashes, especially near waterways.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.