Being a pet parent isn’t always easy, but, many of our struggles pale in comparison to those faced by others, like one dog dad who was rescued at sea last week.
A lifeboat crew rescued a man and his dog, who were believed to have spent three days at sea in an inflatable dinghy, off the coast of the UK last week (June 18). The crew picked them up between Brighton Marina and Brighton Palace Pier on England’s southern coast on Wednesday.
It’s thought that the man, who gave his name as Barry, is originally from Afghanistan, and found the dog, a Lancashire Heeler (a small herding dog) he named Bella, in a refugee camp in France. After a red flare was spotted at 6:30pm in the evening, emergency services launched a rescue operation and they were able to bring them both ashore about an hour later.
They are believed to have been drifting for three days after the dinghy’s engine failed, but an HM Coastguard spokesperson said that the man was found “safe and well”, via the BBC.
A coastguard helicopter, coastguard rescue teams from Shoreham and Newhaven, and lifeboats from Shoreham and Brighton were all deployed, while Sussex Police said that they had assisted – and that the man and his dog were passed to Border Force officials.
Dogs can benefit from swimming but, if you take your dog around bodies of water, it’s important to keep them (and yourself) safe – and wise to invest in a dog life jacket (like this one). Always keep your dog on a leash when near fast-flowing water or any cliff edges, and – while it might be tempting – don’t go after them if they swim too far out. Find a place they can get to safely and call them.
If you’re in the US and need emergency assistance, dial 911 and ask for the Coast Guard. Don’t go in the water after your pup, as this could make matters worse.
Read next: Best swimming pools for dogs
