Oil Rig Workers Rescue Dog Swimming 135 Miles Off Coast of Thailand

Workers on an oil rig far out at sea came to the rescue of a dog swimming in the water. The crew with Chevron Thailand Exploration & Production had no idea how the dog ended up 135 miles (220 kilometers) off the coast of Thailand, but knew they had to save him.

The dog was spotted swimming towards their platform by rig workers, says Vitisak Payalaw, an offshore planner with Chevron. He told CNN they held out a pole to the dog but strong waves prevented the canine from being able to climb up on the rig’s piping.

“I thought that if we didn’t move quickly, I would not be able to help him,” said Payalaw. “If he lost his grip, it would be very difficult to help him.”

They changed tack and threw a rope around the dog to pull him up and out of the water. The dog’s pleading eyes made the crew even more determined to help him and the successfully lifted him up to the platform.

Once onboard, they gave the dog water and named him Boonrod, which means “survivor”.

Boonrod was exhausted and collapsed and rested and was cared for by the workers until they could arrange for him to be transferred to Dog Smile House, an animal rescue.

Boonrod is an aspin, a native breed of dog to the Philippines.

Payalaw said that if no one comes forward to reclaim Boonrod he plans on adopting him.

What an incredible story of survival! We’re so happy Boonrod survived and is now in safe hands.

More footage of Boonrod’s rescue can be seen in the video below.