A fisherman's beloved dog that was presumed to be drowned in the Pacific Ocean has been found alive five weeks after falling overboard his boat.
Nick Haworth's dog, Luna, a 1 ½-year-old German shepherd, was spotted Tuesday on San Clemente Island, a Navy-owned training base 70 miles off San Diego. The blue-eyed pup disappeared February 10 as Haworth, a commercial fisherman from San Diego, worked on a boat two miles from the island.
'They were pulling in their (lobster) traps, and one minute Luna was there, and the next minute she was gone,' said Sandy DeMunnik, spokeswoman for Naval Base Coronado. 'They looked everywhere for her. They couldn't see her. The water was dark, and she's dark.'
Haworth notified Navy personnel that his dog had fallen overboard.'He insisted that he was 90 percent sure that she made it to shore because she was such a strong swimmer,' DeMunnik said. Haworth searched the waters for about two days and Navy staff searched the island for about a week but found no sign of Luna.
She was presumed lost at sea until Tuesday morning when staff arriving for work at the island's Naval Auxiliary Landing Field spotted something unusual — a dog sitting by the side of the road. She was just sitting there wagging her tail,' DeMunnik said. The staff called to Luna, and she came right over.
A biologist then examined the dog and found her a little thin but otherwise healthy. 'It looks like she was surviving on rodents and dead fish that had washed up,' DeMunnik said. The biologist called Haworth, who was out of state working in the middle of a lake.
'He was overwhelmed. He was so happy and grateful and thrilled,' DeMunnik said.
Source
Nick Haworth's dog, Luna, a 1 ½-year-old German shepherd, was spotted Tuesday on San Clemente Island, a Navy-owned training base 70 miles off San Diego. The blue-eyed pup disappeared February 10 as Haworth, a commercial fisherman from San Diego, worked on a boat two miles from the island.
'They were pulling in their (lobster) traps, and one minute Luna was there, and the next minute she was gone,' said Sandy DeMunnik, spokeswoman for Naval Base Coronado. 'They looked everywhere for her. They couldn't see her. The water was dark, and she's dark.'
Haworth notified Navy personnel that his dog had fallen overboard.'He insisted that he was 90 percent sure that she made it to shore because she was such a strong swimmer,' DeMunnik said. Haworth searched the waters for about two days and Navy staff searched the island for about a week but found no sign of Luna.
She was presumed lost at sea until Tuesday morning when staff arriving for work at the island's Naval Auxiliary Landing Field spotted something unusual — a dog sitting by the side of the road. She was just sitting there wagging her tail,' DeMunnik said. The staff called to Luna, and she came right over.
A biologist then examined the dog and found her a little thin but otherwise healthy. 'It looks like she was surviving on rodents and dead fish that had washed up,' DeMunnik said. The biologist called Haworth, who was out of state working in the middle of a lake.
'He was overwhelmed. He was so happy and grateful and thrilled,' DeMunnik said.
Source
God blessed this pretty girl. Looks like she may have some Siberian Husky in here. That's wonderful she survived and was found.
So happy she is alive and well, God bless her, he was watching! <3
She is one strong dog 46miles she swam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! very brave
God bless she safe...
What a Beautiful Baby! So Happy you got her back, We Love our little ones so much! What a Beautiful ending!
So wonderful a story. God bless Luna....
what a tough lady !!! God bless her.. <3
what a blessing... she is gorgeous, absolutely love her beautiful blue eyes... (I have 8 Shepard looking dogs, We are a pack). So happy she's back home
But she's all like what the heck human lets not do that again!������
God bless you all who helped in rescuing this remarkable sweet dog.
So glad she was found and is ok. Get a bright yellow life jacket for her.
So amazing....love this...divine intervention.....beautiful dog
She didn't swim 46 miles, she swam around 2. the map shows the distance from the island she was found on and the mainland. Lucky and strong dog!
I bet a dolphin helped her
wow
Wonderful!❤
I hope he will buy her a bright life west. Maybe with gps 🙂
wonderful story she was meant to be found.
OMG SHERPHERDS ARE LIKE THAT MY MOMS SHEPHERD GOT LOSE ONE DAY WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELING FROM KANSAS(they were visiting my brother) BACK TO IND,THEY LOOKED EVERYWHERE,ABOUT 1YR LATER HE SHOWED UP BACK UP AT MY BRoTHERS.. AWESOME REUNION..
So glad that this strong and resourceful dog survived! I hope her owner puts a life jacket on her if he continues to take her out on the boat.
How can you not know your ddo went overboard??? and dogs should wear life jackets mine does.
Owner looks like a bone head
It says they were working on a boat 2 miles from the island. So she swam 2 miles approximately??
Why does it show the 46 miles from San Diego? And then it says the navel base on the island is 70 miles from there.
This is such a heartwarming story!
Why present this story as if the dog survived 5 weeks in the ocean?? The truth just isn't sufficient any more.
I have tears of joy in my eyes. Way to go Luna. You are one lucky German Shepherd. I am so happy that dog and owner have been reunited. What a miracle. I have had Luna on my mind since I first heard of this incident. OMG. What a relief for all of us who care and love our 4 legged family members.
I love a happy ending. She is beautiful and a very determined little girl. Love my GSD!
Life vests on all live bodies on any boat always!
Bless her heart. Thank you God for watching over her! ❤❤❤❤
Praise God! Such a strong pup!
Beautiful story. The most uplifting I´ve read so far today.
amazing story, so happy she's safe,
The dog is not an "IT," she's a "SHE," and I hope the gentleman keeps her home from now on. Less exciting but safe.... Very glad there was a lucky, happy ending!
So happy she is safe and back with her family.
INCREDIBLE JOURNEY! Glad she is now SAFE!
What a touching story. I love German shepherds. They are smart dogs.
beautiful fur baby story,,so happy she is safe and sound,,one lucky dog,,and it must of been a Luna moon that saved this sweet dog,,
So happy for Luna that she was found. Like many suggested above get her a bright life jacket and gps something she should have had the moment she stepped on the boat.
It wasn't her time......what a great result, may she have years of the goodlife before her :)
life jacket ??????????
YAY!
Wow I'm so happy he was found. What a beautiful dog.. Life jacket next time!
Gd bless you and your dog. She was determined to survive for you.
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Bondingwithbuddies.com I have three German Shepherds great loving companions.
Happy to hear this girl made it to safety. Resilient and resourceful as well! I'm sure there were many jubilant folks on her return. Glad to know they were reunited.
Glad the dog is safe and sound, but I gotta' ask, WTF did you have her on board in a situation where there was the possibility of her falling overboard or being washed overboard?!?!?!? Her loss was YOUR responsibility, one you COMMITTED TOO when you first got her! SMDH
Praise Dog that she made it safely to shore!
I am so pleased she was found safe.
What a beatiful miracle!!
Now let's go find oscar Suarez he's missing at sea in Barbados
Wow such fantastic news this beautiful dog is a hero' big respect she should get an award for her bravery & surviving the ocean for so long. she is an inspiration & a gorgeous girl. so happy she has been returned home safely big hugs & lots of love to you Luna & your family. xxx
Def agree that she is a gorgeous dog! She def needs to be wearing a life jacket, in case of ever taking her near the water again..That would be great! Hope she lives a long a very happy life..German Shepards are a breed of their own..Had one that I adored for almost 15 years..Lots of love sent to Luna..She is def a hero..<3
She's beautiful! So glad you two have been reunited.
I am so pleased and relieved this beautiful Dog did not lose her life so cruelly. Now, I hope her happy owner makes a small investment for the dog he loves so much - buy her a LIFE PRESERVER VEST, please!
Glad Luna is back with her family. Luna should be wearing a life jacket and leashed to the boat. Luna's owner was lucky this time.
German Shep dogs are so very intelligent and love their masters. Mine has to be with me pretty much 24/7. Very loyal. I treasure her. I am glad that you found her, I can't imagine how happy you were! Please for her sake and yours buy her a life vest like everyone was saying a flashy bright one.
REFLECTING LIFE JACKET PLEASE...NO EXCUSE FOR HER NOT TO HAVE ONE ..AND WITH YOU BEING A FISHERMAN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING YOU BOUGHT FOR HER...THEY EVEN HAVE GPS ON THEM..PLEASE...GET HER ONE BEFORE GOING OUT ON THE SEAS!!
I was thrilled to hear your beautiful dog was safe and now home---someone was looking after you both. Take care of both of you
Great ending love stories like this one !
He was fishing a couple of miles from the island where she was found. She swam, at most, 2 miles. The map above is deceiving.
So glad Luna was found. I have a beautiful German Shepherd named Blue. Life jacket for Luna please.
Beautiful dog. But shame on you for not having her in a life vest too. She looks like she saying: DAD YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!!!!!
I am glad that she is ok now.The owner should put a live jacket on her whenever she is with him on the water.
Amazing German Shepherd <3
Doesn't matter how long she swam she's alive and that's all that matter. Good girl Luna that had to be hard to swim as far as she did.Kudos to you sweet baby
PLEASE GET HER A LIFE JACKET SND A TRACKING,HOMING DEVICE.USE A LEASH AS WELL.GLAD SHE IS OKAY
What I gathered from reading this is that the owner was fishing near San Clemente Island when the dog fell overboard at night and she swam to the island. Regardless of how far she swam, those are shark infested waters. I dove off Santa Barbara island which is a little farther out and Great Whites predate the seals there. Regardless, it is still an amazing survival story as the dog survived on her wits, managed to avoid being eaten by a shark, and ate rodents and dead fish for 5 weeks. She's a survivor.
Don't trust it, that's some pet cemetery shit.
Thank God she was young and strong to be able to swim that far. Celebrating that she's home with her dad now.
So glad that SHE, not IT, was saved! :-)
Try securing her so this doesn't happen again, OMG common sense.
Amen! Lunas survival instincts carried her through!
We moved and our dog ran away. He was gone for two weeks, then we got a call from our previous neighbor that he was sitting on the front steps of our old house. Apparently he didn't want to move! lol Animals have an AMAZING sense of direction. How did he know how to get back there? Crazy!
Please, do Not take your dog, Luna, back on the boat!! If you must than have her wear the proper vest and even they have solar lights that could be placed on the vest. It was a miracle she made it and cherish her!!
Dogs are so amazing / Dog Is backwards for God and you know God was guiding her.
much love to luna and her owner..I just hope her owner knows how lucky he is to have her back.
Thank you St FELIX of NOLA, PATRON saint 0f. LOST ,MISSING PETS
Please get a life vest for your beautiful dog! Thank God and Praise the Saints your baby made it back to safety! Like someone else said please make sure it has GPS on that life vest too!
Firmly believe that she had help from the friends in the ocean... blessings to ye
YOu night think about getting Luna a life jacket in bright orange if you continue to take her out on the boat.
What an amazing story with such a happy ending. Here is a story, searching for a happy ending. I know of (3) German Shepherds (2 spayed females and 1 male) in Apple Valley CA. that are in need of good homes. The owner a US Military Veteran with PTSD committed suicide. If anyone knows of a good home for each dog shoot me a message. I'll put the two parties in touch with each other. email@ stylesbitchly32@yahoo.com
Wow swam 46 miles to shore!
Oh well. Can't win em all
What a beautiful story....I feel Luna had some help from a sweet spirit of the ocean. Maybe dolphins.
the ppl with dog profile pics replying looks like other dogs posting they are happy she's safe and I appreciate that lol<3
He searched for only 2 days!
Sooo happy for the owner .. what an amazing blessing!!