A kangaroo has been pulled to safety by a young police officer and local fishermen after leaping into a NSW river from a jetty.
The distressed animal caught the attention of local Josh Nascimben as it jumped from Clyde Street Wharf into the Clyde River in Batemans Bay yesterday.
Nascimben watched on worried, trying to figure out a way to save the roo.
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“There was a fleeting moment when I thought I’d jump in after him but we would have both been in trouble then … so I decided not to,” Nascimben said.
That’s when NSW Police probationary Constable Tevita Tuivaga, walking past on his regular patrol, jumped into action.
Tuivaga also saw the kangaroo jump into the water and quickly commandeered a small tinny and two fishermen to save the mammal.
“One of the fishermen grabbed its legs, I managed to grab its arms … the fisherman grabbed its back and we tried to lead it towards the shores.
“I didn’t think my day would go like this in the police force.”
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Nascimben watched on from the shore, calling the rescue “really good” and “swift”.
“These people are in the business of saving lives, but in this case, nature’s lives,” he said.
The rookie cop also received praise from the NSW Police South Coast District, who now call him their “own Steve Irwin”.
The story even made its way back to Sydney’s south-west, where Tuivaga is from.
“I had ex-classmates message me saying ‘What are you doing with kangaroos?'”
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