Beagle survives jump from Burlington-Bristol Bridge

BURLINGTON, N.J. - September 19, 2012 (WPVI) -- "It's a miracle. It's definitely a miracle."

Alexis Lorenz is talking about the death-defying leap her 7-year-old rescue beagle, Brandi, took Friday night from the Burlington-Bristol Bridge.

Surveillance camera video shows how Brandi, all alone and ears flopping, bolted up the Jersey side of the 2-lane span about 10:15 p.m.

You can see cars swerving to avoid her. Some drivers even stopped to help.

"Two carloads of young kids got out, tried to rescue the dog and the poor dog went over the side of the bridge because it was afraid of the children," said Bridge Commission Police Officer Rob Bittner. "It jumped right over the side of the bridge.

Bridge Commission Police thought Brandi was a goner.

"Poor dog," said Sergeant Ray Warmkessel. "He's going to be dead. Then we went down underneath the bridge and here's the dog walking along the beach. I couldn't believe it."

"She was wet. She was soaking wet," said Lorenz.

Alexis spent hours looking for the beagle, who had squirmed out of her collar and taken off from her husband during a walk earlier that night.

I asked Lorenz if she ever knew her to be a swimmer or a diver. "Never," she said. "I know she's an escape artist, but not anything other than that!"

Amazingly, Brandi did not break any bones after jumping off the 6-story bridge. The dog seems to have landed like a champ, with only a bruised belly to worry about.

Brandi is skittish and fearful of strangers. Her adopted mom can't help but wonder what the beagle was thinking as she ran off that bridge.

"She's in the air, where is this going to end up? Where am I going to land?" said Lorenz.

Alexis says she plans on buying an escape-proof collar for Brandi, who she promises will be in a car the next time she heads over the Burlington-Bristol Bridge.

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