November 12, 2024

Dog Rescued 135 Miles Off Thailand Coast by Oil Rig Workers

Oil rig workers found a shivering dog swimming on the afternoon of April 12 some 135 miles in the Gulf of Thailand with no indication he knew how he got there.

rescued dog in thailandrescued dog in thailand
Photo credits to ViralPress

According to a Facebook post made by Vitisak Payalaw, an offshore planner of Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, the brown canine was found swimming toward the rig platform and trying to cling to the support structure below deck.

The workers who spotted the dog tried to hold out a pole to rescue him, but the waves were too erratic for him to get a good grasp on it and was unable to make the climb. 

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

dog rescue in thailanddog rescue in thailand
Photo credits to ViralPress
dog found 135 miles off thailand coastdog found 135 miles off thailand coast
Photo credits to ViralPress

The crew decided to use a rope and managed to secure it around the dog’s neck to haul him up. In an interview with CNN, Payalaw described how the dog didn’t whimper or bark, but held on silently while looking up at the workers.

oil rig workers rescue lost dogoil rig workers rescue lost dog
Photo credits to NPR

“His eyes were so sad. He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, ‘please help me,’” he said. “At that moment, whoever saw this, they would just have to help.”

Once on board the platform, the workers quickly bathed the dog and gave him fresh water and an electrolyte to drink. They then named him Boonrod, which means ‘survivor.’

Boonrod the dog saved from drowningBoonrod the dog saved from drowning
Photo credits to ViralPress

“He looked extremely exhausted and ran out of energy. He didn’t move much,” Payalaw further shared in his interview with CNN. “He was shaking and he couldn’t stand, he had to sit all the time.”

stranded dog found by oil rig workers in thailandstranded dog found by oil rig workers in thailand
Photo credits to ViralPress
dog almost drowned off thailand coastdog almost drowned off thailand coast
Photo credits to ViralPress

Payalaw shared that the dog might have fallen off a fishing trawler. They were lucky to have found him that day because if there had been huge waves, it would have been difficult to rescue Boonrod, or worse,  the dog would not have been visible.

At around 10:00 am local time on Monday, Boonrod – who was identified as an aspin, a breed local to the Philippines, was lifted by crane and onto a passing oil vessel to be taken to the mainland.

rescued dog transported from oil rig to southern Thailand by cranerescued dog transported from oil rig to southern Thailand by crane
Photo credits to ViralPress

Boonrod has been taken in by the charity Watchdog Thailand, and was sent to an animal clinic in Songkla province in southern Thailand.

dog rescue storiesdog rescue stories
Photo credits to ViralPress

Payalaw shared that Boonrod will be given temporary shelter at a dog home until he can regain his strength. And adds that if no one comes in to take the dog, that he would adopt Boonrod.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *