TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay-area doctor returning home from work helped free a dog whose leash got caught in a moving elevator Monday night.

Incident happened in Harbour Island apartment building

Good Samaritan able to snap the leash to free the dog

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It happened at the Icon Building, now known as the Olympus Apartments, on Harbour Island in Tampa.

The horrifying incident was captured on a 27-second surveillance video. In it, a woman and a dog are seen just outside an open elevator. The woman doesn't appear to be aware that the dog's leash is still inside the elevator. The doors close on the end of the leash, and as the elevator rises, the dog is dragged up with it.

"I dropped all of my food and jumped to try and grab the dog and break the leash," Dr. Mohammad Awad said. "Initially, it didn't work out, so I went back at it again and the dog is screaming and screaming, and I was thinking, 'Oh my God. It only has seconds to live.' "

WATCH// Dr. Mohammad Awad says he's grateful he was at the right place at the right time. This scary scene unfolded in the lobby of the Icon Building on Harbour Island in Tampa. Luckily, Dr. Awad says the dog seemed to be okay @BN9 pic.twitter.com/BezspRopJ4 — Angie Angers (@angie_angers) December 31, 2019

Awad was able to snap the leash, and the dog jumped to safety.

"Even though I'm a human physician, I went in and examined the dog. I touched its throat and looked at it. He drank water, and I knew he'd be OK," Awad said.

He added that he doesn't know the woman involved or the dog. It's unclear who the woman is or whether she is the dog's owner. Awad said the woman left soon after the incident.

Meanwhile, Awad was grateful his instincts kicked in and he was in the right place at the right time.

"I felt like anyone else in my position would have done the same thing," he said.