German Shepherd on boat
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
January 10, 2022 ·  3 min read

German Shepherd Who Has Been Lost For 5 Weeks At Sea, Miraculously Found Alive

A Tiffy Taffy Highlight Story: Sometimes there are tales that are just too good, too beautiful, or too unbelievable to keep locked away. That’s why we scour the archives and bring some of them back to enjoy again. They may make you smile or shed a tear, but they’re always meant to add a little positivity to your day. Enjoy! 

This is a story from 2016, about a German Shepherd who had fallen off a fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean.  The German shepherd mixed with a husky pup was only a year old when it fell off the fishing boat into the massive Pacific Ocean, north off the coast of San Diego. The puppy, who had deep blue eyes and was aptly named Luna, was left miles away from land.

Luna after being rescued
Image Credits: Hayne Palmer IV / San Diego Union-Tribune

The Poor German Shepherd Was Lost At Sea

The German shepherd was reported to be missing on February 10 by her owner, Nick Haworth[1]. He told the authorities that the puppy was a good swimmer and would certainly head towards land. The nearest shore was San Clemente, which was a US naval facility base and was approximately 2 miles away from where the german shepherd fell off the boat.

Image Credits: US Navy Naval Base Coronado

Moreover, the public affairs officer in the San Clemente base, Sandy DeMunnik[2], stated that Haworth was helped by several staff members to look for the dog on the island but could find no trace of the dog.

He stayed in the area for two more days to look for her, and after a week, we considered her lost at sea and presumed dead,” DeMunnik said, according to the news[3].

Crushed, Haworth made peace with Luna’s death, posting on Facebook, “RIP Luna, you will be greatly missed.” Here:

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Luna Returns To The Land After Her Terrible Adventure

Then by God’s grace, Luna reappeared on Tuesday. She reached the naval installation on San Clemente when the crew members were arriving for work.

They saw Luna just sitting on the side of the road wagging her tail,” DeMunnik said, according to ABC. “Keep in mind, there are no domesticated animals on the island, so it was a stunning sight.”

The officers were completely surprised to see the German shepherd but Luna was not fazed at all to see the officers.

They literally opened up the car door, whistled, and she jumped right in,” Navy wildlife biologist Melissa Booker told The San Diego Union-Tribune. The newspaper wrote:

The determined dog had apparently swum to shore and survived on her own for five weeks. She was found to be a bit malnourished but otherwise healthy and uninjured. It appeared she’d eaten small rodents to survive,” Booker said.

The evaluation drawn by DeMunnik was similar. She told the news outlet that the German Shepherd pup was lacking nourishment but was still in good health. The clever pup had been surviving off of mice for the last few weeks.

Haworth’s friend picked up Luna, the next day. Consequently, she was happily reunited with her owner, who returned from a trip the next Thursday.

Moreover, Haworth posted his feelings on Facebook, “Beyond stoked to have Luna back. I always knew she was a warrior.” Take a look:

If this dog’s story doesn’t inspire you, we’re not sure what will!

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Sources

  1. Navy Finds Missing Dog That Fell off Fishing Boat in Pacific Ocean 5 Weeks Ago.” ABC News. Avianne Tan. March 16, 2016.
  2. Lost At Sea And Feared Dead, Dog Found On Island After 5 Weeks.” NPR. Laura Wagner. March 17, 2016.
  3. Lost at sea and presumed dead, rescued dog is returned to San Diego.” San Diego Union Tribune. Debbie Baker. March 16, 2016.