Luna, a 1-and-a-half-year-old German-shepherd-husky mix, was lost at sea five weeks ago.
She joined her owner, Nick Haworth, on a commercial fishing trip a few miles off the coast of San Diego, CA. No one knows exactly how the accident happened, but in Nick's words, "One moment Luna was there, and the next she was gone."
Aided by naval officers, Nick searched the island of San Clemente, but saw no sign of the blue-eyed pup. A week later, Nick started to make peace with the fact that Luna was really lost.
To everyone's surprise, naval crew members spotted Luna along the side of a road just this past Tuesday morning. She looked a bit undernourished, but was otherwise in good condition.
Just yesterday, she was reunited with her owner, who, like any owner who had been devastatingly separated from a lost pet, was beyond ecstatic to see his little baby again.
Scroll down to read about this pup's miraculous rescue, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
[H/T: The San Diego Union-Tribune]
Five weeks ago, Luna, a 1-and-a-half-year-old German-shepherd-husky mix, was on a commercial fishing trip with her owner, Nick Haworth, when she accidentally fell overboard.
The two of them were a few miles away from the coast of San Diego, CA.
Nick, a 20-year-old student at San Diego State University, reported her missing on February 10.
At the time, he told authorities that Luna was a very strong swimmer, and was extremely positive that she had made it to shore.
Authorities helped Nick search San Clemente Island, a U.S. naval facility and the nearest shoreline from where Luna had fallen into the water.
Sandy DeMunnik, the public affairs officer for the base, led the search party on the island.
Sadly, the blue-eyed pup was nowhere to be found.
“[Nick] stayed in the area for two more days to look for her, and after a week, we considered her lost at sea and presumed dead, she told ABC News.
Thinking that he had truly lost his beloved pup, Nick began to make peace with Luna’s unfortunate passing.
He posted on Facebook, with the message: “RIP Luna, you will be greatly missed.”
Then, three days ago, on an early Tuesday morning, after some five weeks after she first disappeared, Luna turned up.
Crew members were arriving for work near the naval installation on the island, when they spotted Luna, sitting on the side of the road and wagging her tail.
“There are no domesticated animals on the island, so it was a stunning sight,” said Office DeMunnik.
The naval staff opened their car door, whistled, and Luna jumped right in.
After speaking with authorities, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Luna must have swam to shore after falling into the water, and managed somehow to survive on her own for five weeks.
Luna was found a bit undernourished — according to navy wildlife biologist Melissa Booker, she very likely survived off of small rodents for the past five weeks — but was otherwise in good health and uninjured.
The Navy called Nick immediately, to alert him that Luna was found alive.
Luna was flown to North Island, at Naval Base Coronado, on Wednesday, where she was picked up by Conner Lamb, a friend of Nick’s. On Thursday, Luna was finally reunited with her owner.
“Beyond stoked to have Luna back,” he wrote on Facebook. “I always knew she was a warrior.”
Before she left the naval base, Air Base Commander Stephen Barnett gave Luna a special dog tag. It reads: “For Luna, keep the faith.”
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