This is the incredible moment a dog was rescued after being found swimming in the Gulf of Thailand – 135 miles from shore.
Workers on an oil rig noticed the pooch’s head poking out above the ripples as she paddled through the ocean last Friday.
They called out to the exhausted animal – which is between three and five years old – and she swam towards them, taking refuge among the rusty metal bars of the rig.
She stayed on the drilling platform for two nights while a special cage was welded together and staff gave her food and water.
The dog was finally lifted by crane on to another oil vessel passing through the area yesterday. She was taken to vets in Songkhla, southern Thailand, today.
Oil rig worker Khon Vitisak, who saved the animal, said he does not know how she came to be in the ocean but he would like to adopt her if no owner comes forward.
Animal charity volunteers – who are now caring for the dog – do not know if she has an owner of if she was a stray.
It is possible she swam from the shore or boarded a boat then jumped off.
Once she reached the rig, workers nursed the dog back to health while they radioed for help and requested a tanker that was returning to shore to stop by and collect her.
She was sent to the animal charity Watchdog Thailand today who took her to be checked over by vets.
A spokesman for the charity said: ‘The boat arrived at 10am and the dog was in good spirits. We took her to the vets to be checked and she was found to be healthy.
‘Everybody who played a part in co-coordinating the rescue has done a brilliant job.’
The dog has now been named Boonrod which in Thai means ‘making a spiritual donation for good luck in the future’.
Mr Vitisak said: ‘We have checked on Boonrod again this evening and she is fine.
‘She has a lot of energy.
‘We still don’t know how she was in the water 220km from the shore. It’s a miracle that we found her.’
He added: ‘I hope to adopt her as a pet. I am looking forward to spending many happy years together with her.’
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