Lost at Sea: Dog Rescued Miles Offshore and Reunited with Owners
By Mike-Ross
In a remarkable rescue operation, a dog named Ellie was saved after being found swimming a mile and a half off the coast of Fort Myers Beach. The dramatic incident occurred during a dinner cruise when a couple spotted the distressed dog struggling in the water between Fort Myers Beach and Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel.
Ellie / Credit: WINK News
Terry Johns, the captain of the Sanibel Harbor Princess, was one of the first to spot Ellie.
"I looked out and noticed something in the water and heard people yelling, 'dog, dog, dog,'" Johns recalled.
Acting quickly, Johns and his crew, along with the passengers, sprang into action to rescue the stranded dog.
Johns speculated on how Ellie might have ended up so far from shore, saying, "Our currents are pretty strong this time of year. She might have been washed away, but it's more likely that she fell off someone's boat, and they didn't realize she was missing."
After the crew brought Ellie back to shore, they took her to a veterinarian, who found a microchip that, unfortunately, wasn’t functioning properly. Determined to help locate her family, Johns contacted WINK News to share the incredible rescue story. The news segment eventually caught the attention of Ellie's owners, Ben and Kathleen Baker, resulting in a joyful reunion.
The Bakers shared their frightening experience, explaining how one moment they were playing with Ellie on their boat, and the next, she had disappeared.
"I was steering under the Sanibel bridge and paused to watch the traffic. Once we passed the bridge and entered the Gulf, my wife asked, 'Where's Ellie?' I immediately put the boat in neutral, but she was nowhere to be found. We searched in a zig-zag pattern," said Ben Baker.
The Bakers searched for hours, deep into the night, until their boat ran out of fuel. They began to fear the worst.
"I thought that was it. I'm 72 years old and have probably cried more in the last 18 hours than I have in years," Baker confessed.
Their despair turned into relief when they saw Ellie on WINK News.
"You started the news at 5:30 with her [Ellie], and that's when we made some phone calls," Ben said.
Watch the news video below.
You are currently reading about Lost at Sea: Dog Rescued Miles Offshore and Reunited with Owners. If you've found this helpful, please share Lost at Sea: Dog Rescued Miles Offshore and Reunited with Owners on your favorite social media site, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
