It was a fun day at the Detroit Zoo for the Swope family. Rick and his wife brought their kids for a family adventure day.

They observed the Chimps of Harambee area and saw what seemed to be a little rumble. Two chimps seemed to be physically interacting with each other. One was small and the other was much bigger and stronger.

As the little chimp attempted to get away, he accidentally tumbled into the water.

The chimp struggled to breathe and keep above the surface. He sunk underneath twice. As this happened, the zoo workers and other guests just watched. No one called for help.

Rick knew the little chimp would drown if someone didn’t do something. He went to help the chimp and got into the water. He pulled the little guy to him and swam to solid ground.

“When I finally got him up the bank and I could hold him up there, he wasn’t moving,” Rick later shared to Animal Planet. “He was lifeless, but he was looking at me when I got him turned around, so I knew he was alive.”

Rick knew he had to quickly leave the area because the larger chimp was coming towards him. He made it back to the side after swimming across the water again.

“Everyone in the whole place was just standing around and watching this monkey drown,” he said in an interview. “When he went down the second time I knew I had to do something.”

Rick was a hero and everyone was safe. Thank goodness. Amen!