The sailors spotted a German shepherd swimming all alone in the middle of the vast sea; but as they approached, they saw something terrifying 
The sea was restless: dark clouds loomed over the horizon, the wind whipped up the waves, and an old, rusty ship moved slowly forward, struggling against the current. The sailors standing on deck scanned the surface of the water when suddenly one of them noticed something unusual.
— “Look over there!” shouted a sailor, pointing with his hand. — “There’s a dog in the water!”
Everyone rushed to the railing. In front of them was indeed a German shepherd, swimming alone, right in the middle of the immense sea. The sailors exchanged astonished looks: how could a dog end up here?
— “He must be lost… We need to pull him out,” said the captain.
The ship began to slowly move closer to haul the animal aboard, but suddenly, when the dog noticed the people, he did not swim toward them. Instead, he turned and swam determinedly in another direction.
— “What on earth…?” muttered one of the sailors. — “He doesn’t want us to save him…”
Curiosity and concern got the better of them, and the sailors decided to follow. For several minutes they trailed the animal, until suddenly they saw something that horrified them
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On the waves floated the wreckage of a wooden boat. Among the planks and splinters were people barely managing to stay afloat — exhausted, weakened, their eyes full of despair. They could hardly fight against the waves any longer.
— “People overboard!” shouted the captain.
At once, the crew rushed into a rescue operation. They lowered ropes, an inflatable raft, and nets. One by one, the sailors pulled the shipwrecked survivors aboard, who could hardly raise their arms anymore.
Among those rescued were a woman and two teenagers. Their faces were pale, their lips turned blue from the cold.
When everyone was finally on board, the woman tearfully hugged the soaking-wet German shepherd, who had climbed aboard last. It turned out he was their faithful dog.
When a sudden storm had shattered their boat, it broke into pieces. The people had fought the waves for hours, their strength fading, their hope slipping away.
But the dog had been the first to notice the approaching ship. Understanding that this was the only way to save his owners, he had swum toward it to draw the sailors’ attention.
— “He saved us… our hero,” whispered the woman through sobs.
The sailors looked silently at the animal. In their eyes shone admiration and respect. Even seasoned seamen, who had witnessed many tragedies and miracles, had never encountered such loyalty.
