San Diego, CA News: German Shepherd Lost at Sea Reunites with Master
A fisherman and his furry best friend friend have finally reunited after more than a month of separation.
Luna, the 18-month old German Shepherd, couldn't contain her happiness and excitement as she sighted her owner, Nick Haworth, when they finally met once again.
"She's a little bit skinny, but other than that, I think she looks pretty good," Haworth said in an interview after being reunited with his beloved dog.
During one of their fishing trips last month in the Pacific Ocean, Luna was presumed dead when she fell off the fishing boat of her master while Haworth was pulling in their lobster traps. The two-day rescue efforts failed to produce even a single trace of the lost German Shepherd and they were forced to give up.
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But still optimistic, Haworth informed the Navy personnel of the incident and said that he was almost a hundred percent certain that she must have made it to the shore, as she was a strong swimmer.
Despite the odds against the possibility of Haworth's initial belief that Luna could still be alive, it turned out that he was right after all. Sure enough, the dog was able to swim two miles and set its feet on the soil of San Clemente Island, a small island 70 miles off San Diego, which serves as the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.
As the base is used for live fire drills of the military, it goes without saying that domestic animals are prohibited on the island. For this reason, the attention of one personnel driving on his way to work one morning last week was caught when he spotted the blue-eyed dog sitting by the road and wagging its tail.
When the staff called the dog, it didn't display any sort of aggression and approached the staff at once. When she was examined by a biologist, she was okay on the whole although her form suggested that she had lost some weight during the ordeal.
It is believed that the lost dog survived by feeding on rodents or fish that washed ashore.
Haworth was away on another commercial fishing expedition when the Navy posted on his Instagram account the photo of the rescued Luna. When the dog was brought to the mainland Navy Base in Wednesday last week, she was handed over to its owner's best friend, who took the dog under her ward while Haworth was away.
"To have my best friend back is the greatest gift I've ever received," said Haworth after his joyous reunion with Luna.
Apparently, Haworth still plans to bring his dog for his fishing adventures. However, he said that he will take precautions the next time around to avert another possible sea ordeal for his friend.
"Maybe a little doggie lifejacket or something with a reflector," he said as to what he might do to prevent Luna from getting lost at sea again.
