Dep. LeAna Cudzilo from the Manatee County (Fla.) Sheriff's Department is being honored for the bravery and courage she exhibited when she jumped into shark infested waters to save a dog in distress, reports Yahoo News.
The rescue began on the evening of August 31 when the owners of a Coonhound mix named Fern installed a new invisible electric fence.
Unfortunately, as these devices sometimes do, Fern was so frightened by the shock that she bolted from her yard and off a boat dock into a canal. She didn't stop there; she kept swimming, straight for the ocean.
Disregarding her own safety, Cudzilo removed her belt and vest and jumped into the 25-foot-deep, dark, shark infested water. The deputy was able to guide Fern back toward a boat, where the dog was rescued.
