Puppy overboard! Labrador rescued near Naples after epic swim

An exhausted puppy was plucked out of the open sea by an Italian sailing boat in the Bay of Naples, after it had fallen overboard from a ferry some time earlier.

The coast of Naples. Image by Graham C99 / CC BY 2.0

The puppy’s owner was taking him home to the island of Ischia by ferry when he slipped out of his leash and fell overboard into the sea. The owner alerted the ferry crew immediately, but was dismayed when they refused to stop and rescue the puppy, saying that he had likely already drowned.

Sailors discover a worn out puppy lost at sea. Image by Screengrab via YouTube

Fortunately the plucky pup was a strong swimmer and later encountered some sailors who pulled him out of the water, dried him off and warmed him up.

Safe aboard the ship. Image by Screengrab via YouTube

Sailor Massimiliano Cappa said: “He was visibly exhausted, his legs almost paralysed by the cold. He trembled and wept.” The puppy was later reunited with its owner. Read more and watch the video: thelocal.it