A puppy who got swept out to sea by a rip current has quite the surprising rescue story to tell, especially given that it happened off the San Diego coast.
The San Diego Fire Department shared on social media that Sadie, a black Labrador retriever mix, was taken from her owner’s home while they were watching a football game last month.
Using an air tag attached to Sadie’s collar, her owners tracked her along the coastline. Meanwhile, surfers at Ocean Beach notified lifeguards that the dog had been caught in rip currents near a pier, according to officials.
Authorities mentioned that U.S. Coast Guard boats and lifeguards began searching the area as soon as Sadie disappeared into the channel.
Lifeguards Garrett Smerdon and Jack Alldredge jumped on personal watercraft and spent over an hour looking for Sadie.
A little later, Aldridge, feeling a bit impatient, commented, “Let me find this dog.”
Smerdon noted that since Labs are known as water-loving dogs and are pretty resilient, there was hope that Sadie was still alive.
They were told to stand down, but while still some distance away, Aldridge thought he spotted something in the water.
“I got closer and closer and realized it was her. I was so excited,” he recounted.
The lifeguards sped over to Sadie.
“She was definitely happy to see us,” Smerdon said, adding, “She looked tired.”
Sadie had drifted about half a mile offshore near South Mission Beach when she was finally found. She was then placed onto a surf boat and brought back to shore, where she was joyfully reunited with her owners.
Her owners, Alexis Barcelos and Brandon Valdez, expressed their immense gratitude in a video message.
Barcelos shared that just before the search was officially halted, he caught a glimpse on the radio that Sadie had been found.
“We were just holding our breath and then we heard, ‘The dog is alive,’” he said. “That’s when we started crying.”
Barcelos mentioned that Sadie had injured her feet and nails while trying to climb onto the pier, which meant they had to carry her for about a week.
Despite that, Sadie is recovering well. This week, she took her first trip to a pet store to pick out some treats and even went for her first 1.5-mile walk since being rescued.
“I’m just so thankful she got home safely,” Barcelos reflected.
