A dinner cruise aboard a yacht took a very unexpected turn when a couple spotted a dog struggling in the sea, leading the crew to make an inspiring rescue.
The Sanibel Harbor Princess, captained by Terry Johns, was taking passengers on a dinner cruise between Fort Myers Beach and Lighthouse Beach in Florida.
But according to WINK News, the cruise took an unexpected turn when a couple saw a dog in the water, struggling to stay afloat.
“I looked out, and I saw something in the water,” Captain Johns told WINK. “Then I started hearing, ‘dog, dog, dog.’”
The captain and his crew jumped into action to save the dog. It wasn’t clear if the animal had fallen off a boat or been pulled in by the strong currents.
According to People, co-captain Kurt Echols maneuvered the yacht towards the dog, allowing the crew to save the dog at the swim platform.
The crew and passengers then gave the dog food and water, and she was grateful to be saved and described as “very friendly.”
They got the dog to shore, hoping to reunite her with her family. She had a microchip, but it was unreadable. But when the story hit the news, it thankfully reached her owners.
Ben and Kathleen Baker had lost their dog, named Ellie, during a boat trip. They searched everywhere in the waters but were unable to find her.
They were devastated: “I just figured that was it. I’m 72 years old, and I have probably cried more in the last 18 hours,” Ben told WINK News.
But thanks to this yacht crew, Ellie was found, rescued, and reunited with her family.