On Monday, radio operators in Batemans Bay along the New South Wales south coast received an unusual call: a dog had been swept off the rocks and was in the ocean in distress.
Rod Ingamells, unit commander of the local Marine Rescue NSW team, was one of the first to hop in a rescue vessel. But by the time his team reached the area, the dog had swum nearly 800 metres across the bay to nearby Snapper Island.
"I thought originally it was going to be easy, but it's a difficult little spot," he said. "One of our crew members who was a bit of a dog lover, she went straight into the water. But he decided to play hide and seek … and he ran around to the other side."
The Batemans Bay team has been training since September with two new rescue water craft delivered last year. The jetskis proved invaluable amid extremely rough conditions that made it difficult for a larger boat to approach the rocky island.
After about an hour, a volunteer coaxed the dog onto the back of a jetski near Smugglers Cove, a rocky outcrop.
"We put him on to the ski and he was a bit like the drover's dog," Ingamells said. "We've been training for months, and he's got the accolade for being the first rescue. It turns out to be a puppy instead of a person."
He added that the dog has not been properly identified yet, but a good Samaritan called in saying they believed the pup's name was Oscar. Ingamells credited a tight-knit community for the quick rescue.
"There were all these people all on the radio, saying 'We'll bring out a tinny,'" he said. "I think everyone in the bay at one stage wanted to save the dog."
Oscar, or whoever he is, has since been taken to the vet with some cut paws due to the rocks on Snapper Island. Officials are in the process of reuniting him with his owners.
"Council rangers report the dog did not have a microchip but the owners have made contact," a Eurobodalla Shire Council spokesperson said. "Rangers hope to reunite the dog with its family following a yard inspection."
"They say the dog was very lucky and the event highlights the importance of ensuring pets are registered and identifiable."
The dog is not the first animal Ingamells and his team have rescued. He has helped free whales from entanglements, aided a dolphin in distress, and saved a kangaroo chased into the water by a dog. During floods in the region, Ingamells worked to rescue sheep swept away by the water.
"We're wondering what's coming next," he said. "It doesn't matter, we're there to do a job. We're all volunteers here and we've got a really good community. They keep their eyes open all along the coast. If they see things, they notify us."
