A routine fishing trip near Cedros Island, Mexico, took an unexpected turn when a group of fishermen spotted a dog swimming alone in the Pacific Ocean.
The animal was nearly a mile from shore and appeared exhausted. With no person or boat nearby, the crew quickly decided to turn around and help.
The rescue happened during a fishing trip led by Arturo Chacon, owner of Tag Cabo Sportfishing. Chacon and 11 friends were spending a week fishing around Cedros Island in Baja California when they noticed the unusual sight.
The captain spotted something unusual
The day began around 5 a.m., shortly after a brief thunderstorm moved through the area. Once the weather improved, the fishermen headed offshore.
They soon noticed birds working over the water and dolphins jumping nearby. These can be signs that baitfish are close to the surface, so the crew followed the activity in hopes of finding fish.
But the birds moved away and the dolphins disappeared.
The fishermen then changed course toward an underwater structure where they had previously found fish. That was when the captain suddenly noticed something moving in the water.
“I just saw a dog swimming,” he told Chacon.
At first, Chacon thought the captain had mistaken the animal for a sea lion. But there was no mistake. It was a dog.
The exhausted dog was far from shore
The crew turned the boat around and approached the animal. As they got closer, they realized just how vulnerable the dog was.
The tan, medium-to-large mixed-breed dog was swimming alone in the open Pacific, roughly a mile from shore. He appeared tired and seemed to be moving farther away from land.
Nobody knew how the dog had ended up there.
The crew wondered whether the thunderstorm earlier that morning might have frightened him and caused him to run into the water. Chacon emphasized that this was only a possibility, and the dog’s actual story may never be known.
Whatever had happened, the fishermen knew they couldn’t leave him behind.
The fishermen pulled the dog aboard
The captain carefully maneuvered the boat alongside the exhausted animal while the crew worked to bring him aboard.
Once safely on the boat, the dog was given fresh water and time to recover.
The fishermen decided to continue their trip while keeping a close eye on their unexpected passenger. At first, the dog mostly rested. After a couple of hours, however, his condition began to improve.
He was standing on his own, drinking water and showing more energy.
Then came an even simpler sign that he was feeling better: food.
The captain had brought burritos for the fishing trip and gave two to the rescued dog. He ate them quickly.
“He was definitely hungry,” Chacon recalled.
Their unexpected passenger seemed to bring good luck
The rescue was already memorable, but the fishermen soon had another reason to remember the dog.
As the animal recovered, the fishing got better.
The crew began catching large white seabass and yellowtail, two species associated with the waters around Cedros Island. By around 10 a.m., Chacon said their fishing bag was full.
The fishermen started joking that their unexpected passenger was a good-luck charm.
With the dog now eating, drinking and standing, the crew headed back toward the marina.
The dog was reunited with his owner
The rescue story ended on an even happier note when the fishermen returned to shore.
Two men at the dock recognized the dog and knew who his owner was. They took responsibility for getting him safely home.
The crew could finally relax knowing the animal was no longer stranded in the ocean.
Once they knew the dog was safe, Chacon and his friends went back out to continue fishing.
Featured Image: Photo by Drew Farwell on Unsplash
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