German Shepherd Rescued After Kayak Blows Out to Sea

For the team at Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, encounters with seals, puffins, and other seabirds are all in a day’s work. What they don’t tend to see a lot of are dogs.

It had been another beautiful day aboard the tour boat, Serenity 4, showing guests around the Farne Islands, a spectacular archipelago off the coast of Seahouses, Northumberland, when skipper Jimmy Reid got an alert from the coastguard. An inflatable kayak had been blown out to sea with some precious cargo aboard: a black German Shepherd named Bruce.

Bruce’s owner had been getting ready for a relaxing afternoon paddle when strong winds pulled the tiny vessel from the dog owner’s hands. Although he tried desperately to swim out in pursuit, it quickly became clear that the wind was too strong and he had no hope of catching it on his own. He returned to shore and raised the alarm with the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). Jimmy and crewman Aaron Fordy delivered their passengers ashore and quickly joined the search.

With strong westerly winds building, hopes had started to fade when Aaron spotted something in the distance – a kayak!

Initially, they couldn’t see Bruce, and the skipper’s sadness is palpable as he reports to the coastguard, after spotting the kayak, that they “believe it’s empty.” Fearing the worst, they pulled closer to the inflatable boat and that sadness was quickly transformed into cheers of exhilaration when a drenched fluffy head appeared. As the jubilant crew of Serenity 4 reached for the dog’s harness, Bruce suddenly slipped free and plunged back into the freezing water. Without a thought for his own safety, Aaron lunged down to the sea, and with a firm grip of the dog’s scruff – and Jimmy’s firm grip on Aaron’s leg to stop him going overboard – Bruce was pulled into the safety of the boat.

Despite the terrifying ordeal, it wasn’t long before a soaked and shivering Bruce was wrapped in towels and wagging his tail, and on his way back to Seahouses Harbour and his anxious owners. Let’s hope he sticks to dry land adventures from now on!

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