Dog Found Swimming Alone in Lake Michigan 4 Miles Offshore Rescued and Reunited with Owners

The dog was said to be treading water in the lake for nearly an hour before being rescued by a Michigan family on a boating trip

Photo: Jeannie Schrage Wilcox/ Facebook

A dog treading water in the middle of Lake Michigan has been rescued by a family out on a boating trip and returned to its owners.

In an interview with WOOD-TV, Jeannie Wilcox said she and her family were on a boating trip on Friday from Grand Haven to Frankfort when about eight hours in, she spotted a "red animal" in the lake.

"I see this red animal in the lake and I started screaming, 'Dog in the water!'" she recalled.

According to Wilcox, the dog was swimming alone nearly four miles offshore and was likely treading water for upward of an hour.

"We brought her up on our swim platform really easily," Wilcox said. "We dried her off. She was obviously scared and cold."

Wilcox and her family traveled four hours to Belmont where they were able to get the dog scanned for a microchip, she said. Soon, the owners were located, and the two families met at the docks to exchange the pup.

In a video shared on Facebook by Wilcox, the dog can be seen rushing to its owners, much to their delight.

"Happy Happy reunion! All dogs welcome on Off The Hook ... aka water dog rescue

," Wilcox captioned the video, referring to the name of their boat.

With the canine now home safe, the Wilcox family said they are grateful they could do their part in the sweet reunion.

"I just hope that if this was my dog, somebody would do the same for me," Wilcox said. "I would just be very grateful, happy because I know how rough Lake Michigan can be."