A Hawaiian ultrarunner was out on the island of Oahu for his daily training run when he spotted a distressed dog near the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff. The dog was covered in scratches, dehydrated, and too weak to navigate down the hilly terrain. Sergio Florian, the ultrarunner, turned his training run into a heroic mission, carrying the dog down the mountain and back to his home in Ka’a’awa, Hawaii.
According to Florian’s Strava activity, the dog, named Stevie, had run away from its owner in the valley while chasing a few wild pigs around four days prior. “The dog tried to come down the mountain but got stuck between two ledges,’ he said. ‘That’s what I think happened, at least.”
“My run turned into a dog rescue mission,” said Florian. “I found her 1,000 feet up, and she was stuck. It took all my arm strength.”
Florian carefully lifted Stevie, estimated to weigh around 45 pounds, down the rocky Pu’u Manamana trail in Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park. The two battled strong winds and rugged terrain. Florian said he tried to hold Stevie close to his chest, offering words of reassurance during the daunting descent.
The state park is known for its rugged terrain and difficult trails, meant for experienced hikers. ‘It’s considered one of the most dangerous trails on the island,’ said Florian. ‘A few tourists have died.’
“People had already heard about the lost dog and were trying to find the owner, but I had no idea any of this was going on,” Florian told the Washington Post. “All I knew was this poor girl needed help, and it was up to me to get her down.”
Florian was later able to find and safely reunite Stevie with her owner. “She will need stitches, but the owner says it will be “no biggie,” apparently,” wrote Florian.
His heroic act did not go unnoticed. Florian was recognized on local TV and in the Washington Post for his heroic deed. Florian works on the island as a physical therapist, helping people with spinal injuries to learn to walk again. He is currently training to run the TDS race at UTMB Mont Blanc in August.
