Saskatoon

Teddy the dog takes on the South Saskatchewan River - and survives!

A little dog named Teddy is alive to swim another day thanks to a little girl and her father.

'He was really scared,' rescuer says

Teddy was quiet but responsive after his exhausting swim across the South Saskatchewan River. (Bridget Yard/CBC)

A tiny, rotund canine lost his way playing at the Sutherland Beach off-leash recreation area in Saskatoon Thursday afternoon.

He ended up swimming across the South Saskatchewan River, despite a dangerous current.

Teddy's predicament was called in, and firefighters and police officers showed up to the sandbar on the west side of the river, only to discover he had made it to safety thanks to his new best friend, Maria Badong.

Six-year-old Teddy has a friend for life in Maria Badong, who kept him company until his owner could pick him up. (Bridget Yard/CBC)

The little girl wrapped Teddy in a towel to keep him warm, after her father waded into the river to save him. 

"We saw it, figured out it was a dog, and I had to go in and pick him up. He was really scared," said Shea Sowatsky, who guided Teddy to shore.

"He was just floating. He looked so tired," Maria said.

Teddy has been reunited with his owner, thanks to the Saskatoon Police Service.

At first, onlookers thought the dog in the water was a beaver, but were soon proven wrong when Teddy floated ashore. (Bridget Yard/CBC)