NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND, June 16 (World Daily Times) — A sightseeing trip around Northumberland’s Farne Islands turned into a rescue mission Sunday when crew from Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours found a dog adrift in an inflatable kayak in the North Sea after a Coastguard alert.
The dog, Bruce, was recovered off the coast near Bamburgh after the Coastguard began a search and nearby maritime crews joined in, according to Serenity and Seahouses RNLI.
Serenity said skipper Jimmy Reid heard the Coastguard call at about 3:30 p.m. while taking guests to Inner Farne. The operator said the crew dropped passengers before joining the search.
Bruce had been near Bamburgh Beach with his owner when the kayak became untethered or broke loose and was blown out to sea in strong winds, according to accounts from Serenity and responders.
Reid and crew member Aaron Fordy later located the kayak offshore after Reid estimated where the wind and tide could have carried it, Serenity said.
As the boat approached, the crew at first could not see Bruce in the kayak, according to Serenity’s account. Bruce then appeared, slipped from his harness into the water during the recovery attempt and was pulled aboard.
The crew wrapped Bruce in towels and took him to Seahouses Harbour, where he was reunited with his owner, according to Serenity and Seahouses RNLI.
Reid told BBC News he was “ecstatic” after the dog was safely recovered.
