Coast Guard Rescues Dog Found Struggling in Ocean Off Florida Shore
Some dogs love water, and some won’t go outside when there’s even a hint of rain. There are certain breeds that are more likely to enjoy a good swim, and retrieving breeds are notorious for their love of the water.
It’s a little unclear how this particular pup got as far out into the water as she did, but thankfully, someone alerted the U.S. Coast Guard.
The incident took place this week, when the Coast Guard’s station in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, got a call about a dog swimming offshore — far from any apparent owner.
When they pulled up alongside the paddling pup, she didn’t seem too concerned about them.
In fact, it almost looked like the dog was trying to swim around their boat.
One of the men leaning over the side of the boat called to the dog, and eventually they drew up close enough that he was able to grab the pup and haul her up onto the boat.
The dog had a liberal sprinkling of white hairs across its muzzle and around its eyes, but for looking like a senior dog, she didn’t seem too tired — despite struggling to swim through the troubled water.
The soaked pup shook off the water, gave the rescuer a kiss and stayed standing.
“You’re the best person I’ve ever rescued,” one of the rescuers can be heard saying in a video shared by the U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach.
“What a Day!” the station wrote Wednesday on Facebook. “There is a first for everything.”
“While our crew was out underway for a night patrol, we received a call for a dog in distress swimming off Fort Myers Beach / Bowditch Point.”
“Thanks to the crew’s expertise in intercepting non-compliant vessels (NCV) and recovering a person in the water (PIW), our ‘star’ of the night was safely recovered and returned to her owner! Amazing work Station Fort Myers Beach!”
Many viewers chimed in to thank the Coast Guard and lambast the seemingly oblivious owner who’d let their dog get out that far.
One user even wrote in to say that she’d seen this particular dog get rescued before and that this was a repeat offense.
It’s unknown how the dog got out as far as she did, though some speculate that the older dog might have been disoriented or even abandoned.
While the Coast Guard did report that the dog was returned to its owner, many are calling for a follow-up to make sure the owner is capable of properly caring for their canine.
It is possible that the dog stubbornly loves swimming and got out that far on its own, but in any case, it would be wise to restrict its reach so no future adventures end in heartbreak.
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