Dog dies after saving drowning 5-year-old in Italy

London: A hero dog has died while trying to save a five-year-old boy from drowning in the sea along Italy`s Adriatic coast. Barillo, an eight-year-old mestizo dog, started barking after seeing the child struggling in the sea at San Benedetto del Tronto in the Marche region.

The canine then jumped straight into the sea to save the boy after failing to catch the attention of its owner, `La Stampa` reported. Along with another swimmer, the dog managed to bring the boy to safety, but then drowned before reaching the shore after swallowing too much water, `The Local` reported. The incident happened last weekend after the child, who was at the beach with his grandmother, panicked in the water. The family of the boy offered the dog owners a reward but they refused, instead allowing them to cover the cost of the dog`s cremation.