Marine Rescue NSW volunteers save stranded dog from Snapper Island
Updated ,first published
A dog washed ashore on an island almost a kilometer off the NSW South Coast has been rescued by volunteers who swung into action after receiving numerous distress calls from worried onlookers.
The emergency calls were made after Marine Rescue teams responded to the dog after it was spotted by Batemans Bay locals in the waters off Lookout Point on Monday afternoon.
Volunteers found the dog on the oval-shaped one-hectare Snapper Island, four kilometers from the town of Batemans Bay.
Two volunteers on a Sea Rescue jet ski landed in a small cove on the island and coaxed the dog into their hands for almost an hour before retrieving it safely.
The animal was strapped to the back of the kayak and transferred to the main rescue vessel before being handed over to council rangers for further care at Sea Rescue’s Batemans Bay base.
Rescue mission commander Rod Ingamells said the dog was playing “hide and seek” with the crew on Snapper Island, making a “simple” retrieval difficult.
“We found him at three different times, at different points. [he had] He rose three meters above the water. “So we persuaded him down, there were sharp rocks around, his paws were damaged,” said Ingamells, “He looked very comfortable and happy to leave the island.”
The dog was reunited with his owner on Tuesday morning after spending the night at the veterinarian. While rangers monitor the suitability of the owner’s property, it remains the responsibility of Eurobodalla Shire Council. The dog is not believed to be microchipped.
According to NSW Marine Rescue Superintendent Glenn Sullivan, the outcome of the rescue mission could have been very different had it not been for the calm, sunny conditions the volunteer crew experienced on Monday.
“The dog was lucky to make it to Snapper Island and equally lucky that sea conditions were extremely calm at the time of the incident,” Sullivan said.
The Ingamells were “surprised” the dog made it all the way to Snapper Island.
“Yesterday was a great day; we had a lot of fun doing the rescue and also got him off the island and he’s doing well now,” he said.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously ran The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s national news live blog.Connect via email.
