LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A dog was safely rescued and returned to its owner after a Coast Guard crew found it swimming offshore.
U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach shared these photos and video of the rescue.
They say their night patrol crew was headed out when they got a call for a dog in distress off Fort Myers Beach near Bowditch Point.
Kevin Arariza and crew members immediately came to the rescue, saying it wasn't what they expected. “Definitely a different case but exhilarating for sure”, said Kevin Arariza.
They managed to locate the dog and use their Person In The Water training to safely pull it on board.
The crew says they were able to reunite him with his owner. “The dog had a collar, so the people that were here on base called the vet office with the numbers that were on the collar. They were able to get the owners,” said Arariza.
Arariza says their mission was successfully accomplished. “It was just a fun really good experience to be able to help him out and the family out as well because obviously no one wants to lose their pet,” said Arariza.
