Many people like going on adventures with their pets, whether traveling by land, air, or sea. Plenty of pets, especially dogs, adapt well to this lifestyle — but when accidents happen to owners, it adds an extra element to their rescue to save the animals as well.
One man set out on a sailboat with his dogs before experiencing problems off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Early Wednesday morning, the boat lost power and ran aground about three miles from the Jordan River.
Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle then got word that the boat “was being battered by large waves,” according to KOMO.
A Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles helicopter headed for the ship and arrived around 1 a.m. They were able to rescue the man and one dog.
The two were then taken to the Canadian Coast Guard Station in Victoria, British Columbia, where they received medical attention.
Another rescue crew arrived at the scene at 11 a.m. to see if anything could be salvaged or if there were any pollution concerns, and they spotted another dog amid the wreckage.
“The aircrew deployed a rescue swimmer, recovered the dog and transported it to the Canadian Coast Guard Station,” the U.S. Coast Guard shared in a post about the rescue.
“Awesome work to everyone involved, including the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria!”
The U.S. Coast Guard also shared photos and video from the rescue, showing the dangerous conditions of the rescue overnight and then the large dog safely in the helicopter.
“AET3 Austen Marshall and AST1 Lucas Wengrin did a phenomenal job effecting a challenging rescue in the heavy surf, as the sailing vessel smashed against the rocks,” Lt. John Schultz, a pilot at Air Station Port Angeles, said.
“Their patience and technical expertise in a highly dynamic environment directly lead to the safe recovery of the mariner and his two dogs. We are thankful for the happy outcome!”
According to a post on Facebook, a third dog was aboard the ship and is still missing.
“The other night 1 person was in distress in their sailboat off San Simon Point, near China Beach,” someone named Kyle David Cooper posted to the group Sooke Social, according to a screenshot shared publicly. “The person was rescued and is now having a tough time as they had 3 dogs on board. 2 dogs were rescued, 1 is missing.
“Black male Rottweiler named Ferrari, should be wearing a collar.
“This person is also looking to recover their phone, wallet, ID and clothing so they can get back on track.”
Apparently, no photos of the missing dog are available, as the man’s phone was lost with his other possessions on the boat, but locals have pledged to be on the lookout for his belongings as well as his precious pup.
