After being lost at sea for more than five weeks, a blue-eyed canine was miraculously found in a naval facility on San Clemente Island. Presumed dead, the German Shepherd (with husky mix) goes survived the sea and is reunited with her owner once more.
Luna was flown to Coronado base on Wednesday and was turned over to Conner Lamb while the owner is away from a trip to Arizona. She will be reunited with her owner, a 20-year old San Diego State University student, on Thursday.
Lost at sea and presumed dead for weeks, a missing dog returns to its owner https://t.co/We59188MUD pic.twitter.com/RT14OOhxw5
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 17, 2016
The one and a half-year-old dog reportedly fell off the boat on Feb. 10 while her owner, Nick Haworth, was working on a boat about two miles off San Clemente Island, reports LA Times. One moment Luna was aboard the 45-foot boat "Elizabeth H," the next one she's gone.
No one knew how Luna fell off the boat; no clues were found. He then asked for as much as he could to look for the 40-pound dog. The search by land and air went on for two days, UPROXX adds.
However, authorities gave up despite the insistence of Haworth that Luna could survive the distance between the boat and the island as Luna was an excellent swimmer. Haworth was devastated. According to Navy wildlife biologist Melissa Booker, Luna just blended right in.
Five weeks after and presumed dead, Luna was found on the island looking a little bit thin but still healthy and uninjured. They found her sitting by the main road. She just jumped right into the vehicle when crew members called her in.
Apparently, Luna swam the distance between the boat and the island. Luna survived on her own, eating rodents and dead fish that had been washed ashore. Naval Air Base Cmdr. Stephen Barnett awarded Luna a special dog tag with encryptions, "Keep the Faith".
