A missing alsatian was found stranded on a rock out at sea, after doggy-paddling his way from his home four miles down the coast.
The dog, named Bear, vanished from owner Fiona Rennie’s house on Tuesday at around 10pm. The next day, he was spotted by an eagle-eyed friend on a patch of rocks off the coast.
But Bear’s ordeal was not over yet, as he panicked and swam away when two people waded in to try to get to him. It took an RNLI lifeboat crew to finally get hold of Bear in Joss Bay and bring him back to safety.
He was found to be exhausted but unharmed apart from a few cuts to his paws. Fiona and daughter Jessica Conway, of Margate, Kent, said they had worried all night about Bear, four.
Relieved Jessica, 38, added: “We have no idea where he went. He escaped and was last seen running along the seafront at Margate, but then turns up the following afternoon at Broadstairs. We’re just so grateful to the people who tried to grab him and raised the alarm and of course the crew of the RNLI Margate lifeboat – who rely on donations.”
RNLI Margate said a D-class inshore vessel was used. A spokesman added: “The dog is safely reunited with its owner and the lifeboat crew were unharmed also.”