Dog Lost At Sea Reunited With Owner After Five Weeks

A dog lost after she apparently fell into the Pacific Ocean from the deck of a commercial fishing boat on February 10 has been found and was expected to be reunited with her owner Thursday night. The owner of the beloved pet searched the waters in the area of the incident for two days, but to no avail.

Luna, a blue-eyed, 18-month-old German Shepherd and husky mix, apparently dog-paddled about two miles to San Clemente Island, a naval facility about 70 miles off the coast of San Diego.

The island is owned and operated by the United States Navy and is part of Los Angeles County. It is officially uninhabited but reportedly supports about 300 military and civilian employees. A variety of weapons are regularly fired on the island for training purposes, and for that reason, there are no domesticated animals allowed. There was concern that the lost dog, if she made it to the island, might fall victim to the exploding munitions that would surely surround her.

The Navy was informed of the lost dog and offered its assistance in the ongoing search. After 10 days without a trace, Haworth, 20, a student at San Diego State University and a commercial fisherman, had given up, presuming the lost dog had drowned. The Navy continued its search across the island for another week, both on land and from the air, but she blended right into the landscape because of her tan and black coat, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Haworth posted a goodbye message with photos of the lost dog on his Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.haworth.5/posts/10206319887462366

Then, on Tuesday, staff members at the remote naval facility found Luna sitting on the side of a road wagging her tail. They stopped the vehicle and called the dog, who willingly jumped in and rode away with them. Luna was reportedly a little malnourished but deemed healthy upon examination. She is believed to have survived on the island by eating rodents and dead fish, according to an Associated Press story published in the Washington Post.

Haworth was away on a trip to Arizona in the middle of a large lake when he was notified of the discovery of his long-lost friend, and he sent another best friend to retrieve the lost dog on Wednesday. Conner Lamb delivered Luna from Naval Base Coronado in California after she was flown there on a Navy commuter flight. Lamb expressed excitement and surprise at the developments.

Haworth had a different Facebook post to share when he learned that Luna had been found and returned.

https://www.facebook.com/nick.haworth.5/posts/10206476288772301

When the dog fell overboard, Haworth expressed confidence that she had the ability to make it to the island, noting that she was a strong swimmer. WGME quoted a spokesperson for Naval Base Coronado as saying the dog disappeared when the fishermen were pulling in their traps from the 45-foot boat named “Elizabeth H.”

“One minute Luna was there, and the next minute she was gone,” said Sandy DeMunnik. “They looked everywhere for her. They couldn’t see her. The water was dark, and she’s dark.”

DeMunnik said the dog was given a new tag as a souvenir. Along with her name, it has the words “Keep the Faith,” a reference to a survival course taught on the island.

The Navy acquired San Clemente Island in 1934, and it is the only remaining ship-to-shore live firing range, according to Wikipedia. During World War II, it was used as a training site for amphibious craft. Today, it also is home to an airfield used to train Navy SEALS and a rocket test facility.

[Photo by U.S. Navy/AP]