Dog doing well after five-storey drawbridge fall

David Bernstein and his new best friend walked out of the Brickell Animal Clinic on Thursday with a clean conscience – and a second chance at life for the dog that fell five storeys off a drawbridge. “So many different things could have gone wrong, should have gone wrong,” Bernstein said of Wednesday’s dramatic events.



Bernstein rushed out of his car to save the Terrier mix, who was slipping through the cracks of the Brickell Avenue drawbridge as it was going up in downtown Miami. “I came within a foot of grabbing her and she slid down, and I saw her right before me,” he said. “So it was about as close as you can get but really just coming up short and that kind of killed me.”



Bernstein searched the side of the bridge and water and found nothing. He went home devastated as the moments of losing the dog played over and over in his head. But 12 hours later, he went back – and with the help of the drawbridge operator, found the dog wet and oily walking around the base of the bridge.


Video link.

Recent heavy rains apparently filled the restricted, cemented area there with water, breaking the dog’s fall. She didn’t break a bone. “I was so happy that she was there. It was just so amazing,” Bernstein said. “I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t want to give up.” The owner of what Bernstein called “my miracle dog” is still being sought.

There's another news video here.