On the evening of July 16, Scott Crewell and his Siberian Husky, Rosie hopped in their boat for a late night cruise on New York’s Great Sacandaga Lake.
Rosie was wearing her life vest, but Crewell made the fateful decision to take it off to air-dry as they headed back to shore.
It was then that the chase-obsessed pooch heard the quacking of ducks and dove overboard in pursuit.
Crewell quickly lost sight of Rosie in the darkness.
“I started moving with the boat, listening for the ducks,” he told ABC NEWS 10. “I could hear them getting further and further away. The direction she was going in was the worst direction on the lake because it was the farthest distance [from shore].”
Crewell and a friend searched the lake through the night and past the break of dawn. Although he knew there was a chance Rosie had drown, Crewell was determined to find his beloved dog – one way or another.
The frightened dog dad just so happened to have a powerful friend in the missing dog world. Steve Caporizzo is an ABC NEWS 10 meteorologist and a well-known animal advocate. His Facebook page, Steve Caporizzo’s Pet Connection, is devoted to reuniting lost pets with their rightful owners.
Caporizzo posted an urgent BOLO alert along with a photo of Rosie. Later that day, a fisherman who had heard about the missing dog spotted her, soaking wet and exhausted by the shore. She had managed to swim 5 miles to safety! Good Samaritans on the beach got ahold of Rosie’s harness and she was soon reunited with her ecstatic dad.
Caporizzo’s post has since been updated to reflect the dog’s remarkable return.
“I don’t even know how she made it that far,” Crewell said through tears of joy. “It’s amazing.”
Rosie spent the evening at a nearby veterinary facility where she was treated for eye irritation and upset stomach. Otherwise, she was given a clean bill of health!
A very grateful Crewell has vowed to keep Rosie safely strapped into her life vest in case of ducks or other wildlife from here on out!
H/T & Featured Image via ABC NEWS 10
