Six sailors coasting twenty miles from the shore near Naples, Italy spotted something rather unusual paddling desperately through the chilly waters.
A Lab puppy, who had reportedly been doggy-paddling for several hours, had slipped through his collar and fallen off a ferry bound for the island of Ischia earlier that day.
The little yellow puppy spotted them too and began paddling towards them, struggling to stay afloat.
The concerned sailors steered the boat as close to the struggling pup as possible and whistled to encourage him to swim closer. After a few minutes, one man was able to pull him safely on board. Another woman immediately pulled him into her lap to warm him up—he was trembling and paralyzed from the cold.
In the dramatic video below, the crew manage to manoeuvre the boat close enough to the puppy so that one of them manages to pull her out of the frigid waters.
The two-to three-month-old puppy, named Noodles, was taken ashore by a rescue boat and warmed by a hair dryer. (He even received adoption offers when the news broke on the sailors’ yacht club’s Facebook page!)
Alas, he has since been reunited with his family after they reported him missing from the ferry.
Noodles is reportedly doing well after his harrowing experience. We’re just thankful this Lab’s swimming instincts kicked just in time!
Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Share what these sailors did with your family and friends!
