'A miracle happened': Lifeguards rescue runaway dog swept out to sea in rip current
Lifeguards rescue runaway black lab swept out to sea
A beloved pet was rescued from the ocean after he was swept out by a rip current, thanks to heroic lifeguards and an AirTag.
A beloved black lab mix named Sadie had luck, lifeguards and an AirTag on her side when she escaped from the San Diego home she was visiting and got swept out to sea by a rip current.
According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, Sadie and her family were visiting San Diego the weekend before Thanksgiving when Sadie bolted out of the front door and made a "great escape."
Her dog parents, Brandon and Alexis, tracked Sadie using the AirTag on her collar and set off to find their pup. Nearly two miles away, surfers reported seeing a dog swept into the rip current near the jetty in Ocean Beach.
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Sadie’s spectacular rescue
Using jet skis and a small boat, lifeguards spent an hour searching for Sadie but didn’t find her.
What they're saying:
"At that point I just said, like, please let us find this dog," one of Sadie’s rescuers recalled. "We kind of huddled up and said that, you know, there's a good chance that Sadie was still alive. Just a 5-year-old lab, and they’re fighters."
Sadie's miraculous rescue (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
As the lifeguards made their way back to shore, "a miracle happened."
One of the lifeguards spotted Sadie about a half-mile offshore. She was frightened, but alive and well.
Sadie's miraculous rescue (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
"Right when they were going to call it off, because it had been an hour, we literally were standing right there with the guy, and he got a call on the walkie talkie saying that they had found the dog, and we kind of just held our breath and they were like, and the dog is alive, and we kind of just started crying right away," Sadie’s owner Alexis said.
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"She was super happy to see us for sure. She was tired," the lifeguard said.
A smiling Sadie (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
It was a miraculous rescue, but all in a day’s work for San Diego Fire-Rescue.
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"This is just one example of the many unique challenges our lifeguards face on the water every day," the department said on Facebook. "We're grateful this story ended on a pawsitive note for all."
The Source: This report includes information from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.