Dog Escapes San Diego Home, Goes on Quite a Trip

A black Lab mix named Sadie is safe after a harrowing ordeal off the California coast, thanks to a surfer's sharp eye, determined rescuers, and a high-tech device. The 5-year-old dog slipped away from a San Diego home during a football game and ended up getting swept out to sea by a rip current, per ABC News. Her owners were able to track her to the Ocean Beach neighborhood thanks to the Apple AirTag attached to her collar, which ultimately helped guide lifeguards to her location.

A surfer at Ocean Beach initially spotted Sadie in the Mission Bay channel and alerted San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards, sparking a search that lasted about an hour and involved Jet Skis. Lifeguard Garrett Smerdon says the team was determined to save Sadie, believing she still had a chance—because, he notes, black Labs are "fighters."

The search had just started to wind down when rescuers finally spotted the dog about a half-mile offshore, near South Mission Beach. They quickly retrieved her and brought her back to shore, where she was reunited with her relieved owners. Smerdon says that Sadie was "super happy to see us," despite her fatigue, per People. "This is just one example of the many unique challenges our lifeguards face on the water every day," the fire department posted on social media. "We're grateful this story ended on a pawsitive note for all."