Dog Swims 6 Miles to Shore and Finds Family After Falling Overboard

Dogs are surprising and resilient creatures, and 10-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy, Rylee, is no exception. While Edward and Kristin Casas were out boating on Lake Michigan last week, their boat malfunctioned and the couple had to focus on driving and fixing the boat. They didn’t notice at first that their dog had gone overboard.

WFAA reports that Edward told the news, “Our hearts just sank. We were gone for maybe 10 minutes, and then we couldn’t find her anywhere on the boat and she was nowhere to be seen in the water.” The couple quickly made a mayday call.

A local fisherman connected the family to his wife Lynn Fiedor who runs Lost Dog Search Team. She put out the call to all of her connections and reassured the couple that Rylee was well-trained and smart enough to be safe.

There were no developments that night, but the next morning Rylee was found near the Platte River Campground. This means that the pup swam 6 miles and walked another 12 miles inland! The Casas drove out to the area and squeaked one of Rylee’s dog toys until she emerged from the woods.

“Let me tell you, I’m not the kind of guy that cries but oh did this make me cry. I am so proud of this dog and so proud of and grateful for Lynn [Fiedor],” Edward said.