Dog rescues owner by swimming for 11 hours his boat capsizes

A passing fisherman detected Heidi, a German Shepherd, swimming in Moreton Bay. The authorities were alerted by the fishermen and they launched a search and rescue operation to find the owner immediately. They eventually found the owner, Heidi, who was holding his 4.1m boat upside down.

The 63-year-old owner was towed to safety and told authorities how his boat lost power last night and began taking on water.

Surprisingly, he stayed in the water for 15 hours, staying afloat and waiting for help to arrive. He stated that Heidi would have spent up to 11 hours swimming in the dark looking for help.

This was stated by Staff Sergeant Jay Barstow of Brisbane Water. “We would like to take this opportunity to remind boaters to prepare for the worst when they hit the water.

Always wear personal survival equipment and make sure your protective equipment, including the EPIRB, is checked and in good working order.”

«Fortunately, the search ended well, and Heidi was able to become our honorary police officer for the day.» When Heidi was taken out of the water, the veterinarian examined her and gave a clear conclusion about her health.

After nearly half a day of rowing, she was given some food and much-needed rest in anticipation of her owner’s arrival. The icing on the cake was that Heidi was named an honorary police dog of the Queensland Police Service for the day.

This is yet another example of how true it is that a dog is people’s best friend.