Russian Sailors Who See A Dog Stranded On An Iceberg Hatch A Bonkers Rescue Plan
Pets have a knack for getting into precarious situations. Cats seem to hunt out danger, always getting stuck in blinds. Dogs, on the other hand, don't look for danger, it seems to find them.
For one poor dog, that meant getting stranded on an ice floe and nearly freezing in Russia. The good news is it was found by a group of sailors. They just needed to figure out an unlikely plan to save the poor fella. The story you're about to read will sound unbelievable, but we promise it's all true.
No One Knows How It Happened
One minute you're watching your dog, then you look away and it's nowhere to be found. Where did it go? Usually not on an ice floe drifting into the ocean, which is what makes this story so weird. No one knows how this pooch got stranded so far out to sea, but there are theories.
The most logical theory is that the dog was standing on the ice when it broke off the shore. The poor pup stayed on the ice while it floated away, leaving its owners worried sick.
No Hope For Rescue
This dog got stuck in a situation where there was very little hope. Floating aimlessly on the ice cold ocean, we can't imagine how scared this dog was or what thoughts were racing through its canine mind. It definitely had no idea luck was on its side.
Usually when our pets get lost, they are stuck in a tree or in a spot where they can be easily rescued. We save them and console them, hoping they never get stuck again.
Floating For What Felt Like Forever
Stuck on the piece of ice, the dog floated endlessly, slowly losing the sight of land. Would anyone come to the rescue? Was this dog's last day in the sun? The longer it floated the less hope there was.
With the land no longer in sight, the dog looked around. It could have jumped into the freezing water but realized that was a bad idea after sticking its nose in it. Unable to take a leap of faith, the dog waited.
Help Wanted
The dog looked around, hoping to see any sign of life. Hours could have passed with the pup waiting patiently on the piece of ice; its paws slowly freezing. Frost even began to gather on its fur.
With only a few hours of light left, the situation was only getting more dangerous. The temperature would drop further in the dark, severely decreasing the dog's chances of survival and making rescue nearly impossible. If something was going to happen it needed to happen soon!
Spotted In The Distance
It was just another day on the water for a group of Russian sailors. They had no idea what was about to happen. Faintly in the distance, one of the men heard something, but what was it?
Looking into the ocean abyss, they spotted something. From afar, they couldn't tell what it was; only that it was alive. The noise they heard must have been from this thing floating in the distance. Next, they had to decide if they should attempt to rescue it.
Getting Closer
The sailors decided to approach the creature. If it was a wounded seal or another helpless animal then they needed to rescue it! As they got closer, they couldn't believe what they saw.
The dog stared up at the giant boat helplessly. The dog was running out of energy and on the verge of passing out. Action would need to be taken quickly. At this point, daylight wasn't the threat. The real trick was figuring out how to safely get the dog out of the water!
One Big Bark
Sitting on the ice, the dog must have been relieved when it saw the Russian fishing boat in the distance. Using the last of its energy, it barked once loudly. It was a long shot, but it worked.
Rescue was just on the horizon. The dog watched as the boat inched closer. Once the boat was close enough, another problem popped up. Because it was a giant fishing vessel, the pup couldn't exactly leap on the deck, it was too high.
The Predicament
At this point in our story, there was one big problem. The dog couldn't jump to safety with how high the deck of the boat was. Even worse, it would have been life threatening for one of the sailors to jump in.
Not only was the water negative 11 degrees Fahrenheit, but there was also no way to get the fisherman back on the boat if one of them took the plunge. They needed to come up with a plan, and they needed to come up with it fast.
Too Far Away
The sailors needed to figure out how to get the ice floe close enough to the boat to rescue the dog. With several feet separating the freezing pooch from rescue, the situation was starting to look bleak.
Every time it looked like the ice was drifting to the boat's edge, it would begin to drift away. The fishermen need to get the ice next to the boat, and find a way to hold it there until they could lift the dog on board.
Taking The Plunge
It might have been dangerous, but one fisherman on the boat wasn't about to lose this dog without a fight. Without worry for his own life, he jumped into the freezing water, risking his life for man's best friend.
In such freezing temperatures, the swimming sailor should not have been able to function. With adrenaline running through him, though, he pushed ahead. He had a mission, and he wasn't going to give up on this dog without a fight.
Closing The Gap
Miraculously, the fisherman was able to swim out to the dog. His plan wasn't clear. Would he force the dog into the water and help lead it back to the boat? When he looked at the dog, it was clear there was no chance for that to happen.
He was forced to swim the piece of ice back to the ship. More correctly, the fishermen planned to drag him, with the ice in tow, back to the boat. Before jumping in the water a tether was tied to him.
Dragged To Safety
With the fisherman tethered to the boat, he held onto the ice. He then signaled the other men on the boat to reel him in. Slowly and carefully, they pulled their friend, along with man's best friend, to safety. Of course, they still needed to be careful.
If they pulled too fast, the sailor could lose grip of the ice, meaning they would have to start the rescue over. With the freezing temperatures of the water, though, their first attempt was their only attempt. Another would be too dangerous.
A Race Against Time
Pulling the dog towards the boat, one thing became crystal clear to everyone involved: this was a race against time. No one knows for sure how long the poor pup was floating by itself, but the icicles on its fur indicated a few hours at least.
Time, it appeared, was not on the fisherman's side. He pulled the ice up to the side of the boat and waited for his team to enact the next part of their rescue plan.
A Ladder Of Hope
Waiting by the side of the boat, there was nothing left for the dog and his savior to do. The next part of the great rescue was up to the fishermen still on board the vessel.
They jumped into action immediately, dropping a metal ladder down the side of the boat. This allowed the fisherman to get out of the freezing cold water and get back to the deck. This wasn't the end of the plan, though, as it would have been nearly impossible to carry the dog up the ladder, too.
Still Scared
Even though the fishermen were all trying to save this stranded dog, it didn't trust them. As the man on the ladder attempted to grab the dog, it backed away, still understandably scared.
With so little time left to work, the fishermen didn't have time to earn the dog's trust. They needed to work fast. The plan they came up so far had worked, but now it felt like the real rescue was beginning. Would they be able to get the dog on deck?
Out Of Options
With no options left, the fisherman on the ladder did the only thing he could think of. He took his tether off and tied it around the dog's body, that way it could be hoisted to safety.
The frightened dog fought back against the fisherman as he tried to wrap the tether on. Unsure what was happening, the dog had no idea it was being rescued. Finally, after a quick struggle, it was tied up ready to be lifted.
Gentle Hands
The fishermen may have been ready to pull the dog to safety, but it was far from ready to be rescued. As gently and non-threateningly as he could, the fisherman on the ladder picked up the dog and held him up.
The sailors on board the vessel then gently hoisted the dog up the side of the boat and onto the deck. What happened next surprised everyone. No one knew how much energy the dog had left or how it would react to being on a solid surface again.
New Friends
Once the dog was on board the ship, the fisherman in the water was able to climb up the ladder and back on the boat. He was thrilled to find out that his new rescued friend was no longer frightened.
It helped that the boat had two other dogs on board. They greeted their new mate with warm tail wags. With new friends and a new lease on life, this dog went from terrified to overjoyed
Happy And Healthy
After the dog was rescued, everyone was relieved to see how happy it was. The only question left to answer was whether or not it was healthy. It had been stranded on freezing water for hours and could have experienced several health problems along the way.
Luckily, aside from needing a hot meal and a warm blanket, the pooch was perfectly healthy. Just look how it smiles as it interacts with all its new furry friends. Our hearts have been melted for sure!
Faith In Human Kindness
Stories like this one serve as an important reminder to us all. No matter how hard we think the world might be, there are still kind people willing to risk their lives to save others.
If it had been a different group of sailors, who knows what would have happened with this dog. What's important is fate intervened. This dog still had a life to live, and these warmhearted sailors were prepared to do anything to make sure of that.
