Bear, believed to be less than 2 years old and new to the neighborhood, had been flailing around in the water for at least five minutes, the family said.
Roman ran outside and in the dead of night reached over the ledge and grabbed hold of Bear’s front paws. Using every aspiring superhero muscle in his body, the 100-pound boy managed to wrestle his 87-pound dog to safety.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything else,” he said, recalling the moment he yanked the wet pooch out of a neighbor’s swimming pool. “I didn’t care how dark it was. I just cared about getting my dog out of the water.”
The Nov. 20 rescue has been touted as a significant feat, particularly considering that the fourth-grader at Bret Harte Elementary dead-lifted close to his own body weight, Burbank Fire Capt. Ron Bell said.
“I have never heard of a rescue like that in 35 years,” he said. “That’s a heck of an effort for a child.”
Roman, who later attributed the burst of strength to a last-second rush of adrenaline, brought Bear home, dried the dog off and put him to bed. But it wasn’t long after that Bear woke up the family with his whimpering.
In the hustle and bustle of the rescue, Bear’s right leg was pulled from its socket, causing damage to the soft tissue and prompting the family to seek emergency care.
“The dog was crying, and we couldn’t have him suffer any more,” said Helbert Moreno, Roman’s father. “We thought he was going to be OK. But he obviously wasn’t.”
The pain continued for four days, and the normally rambunctious dog spent the time sleeping in the living room. Then, as if on cue, the wincing waned and he stood up.
