In a heartwarming tale of rescue and reunion, a dog named Ellie was saved from the waters off Fort Myers Beach, Florida, after being spotted swimming alone more than a mile from the coast. The dramatic rescue occurred on Sunday, July 28, during a dinner cruise aboard the Sanibel Harbor Princess.
Captain Terry Johns, a retired Coast Guard member, was alerted to the situation by passengers who noticed a small head bobbing in the water. Acting swiftly, Johns and his co-captain Kurt Echols maneuvered the yacht to safely retrieve the exhausted canine.
"I looked out the window, and sure enough, I saw a little head swimming by," Johns recounted. The crew successfully brought Ellie aboard using the yacht's swim platform, where she was immediately given food and water.
Despite her ordeal, Ellie remained in good spirits. "She was just as happy as she could be," Johns observed.
Following the rescue, Ellie was taken to a veterinarian for examination. Although she had a microchip, it wasn't functioning correctly, complicating efforts to locate her owners. A crew member volunteered to care for Ellie temporarily while the search for her family continued.
In an effort to reunite Ellie with her owners, Johns contacted local news outlet WINK News to share the story. This decision proved pivotal, as Ellie's owners, Ben and Kathleen Baker, saw the broadcast and recognized their lost pet.
The Bakers had been on a boat trip with Ellie when she disappeared unnoticed. They spent hours searching the waters until nightfall, fearing the worst. "I just figured that was it. I'm 72 years old, and I have probably cried more in the last 18 hours," Ben shared.
Overjoyed to discover Ellie's rescue, the Bakers quickly made arrangements to bring her home. This happy ending was made possible by the quick thinking and compassionate actions of the Sanibel Harbor Princess crew and the power of local media in connecting lost pets with their families.