It was a normal day on the beach in Bamburgh, Northumberland, UK, until Bruce, an Alsatian German Shepherd, disappeared towards the horizon line. He was swept offshore in an inflatable kayak after wind and waves pushed the vessel away from shore. Its owner, Arran McArthur, tried to swim to him, but the kayak was moving away too quickly. Luckily, the story had a happy ending, but not without heartache.
The search begins, then the discovery: the video of Bruce’s rescue
After the owner lost sight of the animal, the British Coast Guard and the RNLI, the organization that manages sea rescues in the United Kingdom and Ireland, were alerted. Also joining the operation were Jimmy Reid and Aaron Fordy, from the Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours tour company, returning from an excursion to the Farne Islands. The two decided to search further offshore, where wind and current could have pushed the kayak.
After about half an hour they spotted a small blue and white boat. From afar it looked empty. Only once they got closer did they see Bruce huddled inside. According to reconstructions in various British media, the dog was now approximately 2.5-3 miles from the coast, i.e. between 4 and 5 kilometres. Recovery was not immediate: while rescuers were trying to hoist him on board, Bruce slipped from his harness and fell into the water. Fordy reached out to grab him, while Reid held his leg. Eventually the two managed to drag him onto the boat.
Bruce was cold and shaking. He was wrapped in towels, given water and taken back to Seahouses, where he was reunited with his owner. McArthur then said the dog returned home safe and sound. “I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t found him,” he told local media, thanking the Serenity crew. On their Facebook page, the crew describes their special day like this: “A rescue we will never forget.”