On February 21, 2022, Thomas released a video of the incident that occurred at his Cape Town, South Africa, home to his Instagram feed. Cassius was first observed napping off next to the family pool. As he turned to go, he stumbled and fell into the water.

Thomas stated that he was alone in the house and had just completed shaving when he heard Cassius yelling for help.

“I was the only one home, and he fell in the pool,” Thomas alleged.

The following scene in the video shows Thomas at the pool, attempting in vain to pull the 110-pound dog out.

He was becoming tired from standing there, so he said, “I had to come up with another solution since I couldn’t just pull him out because he is too big and I don’t have enough leverage in my chair and I’ll just go into the water myself.”
Adding that he has “had two Rottweilers, and swimming is one of their well-known talents, though not mine. No matter what we do, he cannot or will not swim.”

Unfazed, Thomas grasped his “Big Bear’s” paw in his hand and went cautiously alongside him to the other side of the water, where he could use a stairway to rise.

Thomas was relieved when Cassius finally made it to the other end of the pool after 42 agonizing minutes and hurriedly exited.
“He had been in there for around 25 minutes before I found him, I discovered when I later reviewed the video. He was so worn out as a result. I only want to express my gratitude to God for his size”, he stated.

Thomas is not only an excellent dog father, but his life story also acts as motivation.

During a home invasion, Thomas was attacked by a group of seven men and suffered significant injuries. After the altercation, bone fragments from his spine were forced into his spinal cord, causing him to become a T3 paraplegic.

“I was in good shape and powerful, weighing around 100 kilos (220 pounds), and… A man whacked me in the head with a screwdriver. The second person must then have shot me in the chest. It was only millimeters from my heart.”Thomas wrote this.

“I’ve been telling my story and motivating people that they still have so much to live for regardless of their circumstances and that they can overcome adversity to become better on the other side,” he said to groups of individuals and organizations.

“I still have bad days where I don’t feel like getting up and confronting the day,” he admitted, “but I have to get up for my kids and my wife to demonstrate to them that they must never give up and that they can succeed in anything they set their minds to.”

“I’ve been given another chance in life, and I want to use it to change people’s lives,” he explained.

In the meantime, Thomas has been amused by the attention Cassius has received. Who would have guessed that a video of me saving my dog, who refuses to learn to swim, would become viral? In addition, the film shows me wearing only my underwear and socks.

Thomas is grateful to be alive to care for his family, which includes Cassius, a 5-year-old who cannot swim.

You may see the rescue video here: