The bond shared between a man and his dog is undeniably strong. A dog is often more than a pet, they are often see as part of the family. When one young fisherman headed out for a regular fishing trip with his dog and best pal, Luna, he never expected that it would be the last trip they took together. Nick was brokenhearted for weeks until one day he received a mysterious phone call.
20. Fisherman
Back in February 2016, 20-year-old fisherman Nick Haworth decided to head out into the Pacific Ocean for a fishing trip. It was a perfect day to sit around and catch some fish so he was really looking forward to it. However, he knew he couldn’t take the trip alone.
19. Luna
A day out a sea wouldn’t be right without Nick’s precious dog Luna by his side. Luna was a one-year-old German Shepherd-Husky mix and she would always be by Nick’s side on every fishing trip. This is how the pair bonded the most.
18. Sailing
So the two set off on their fishing adventure and sailed about 80 miles off the coast of San Diego, California. Near them was a small island called San Clemente. Everything was going well until Nick suddenly realized that Luna wasn’t on the boat!
17. Panic
Nick began to immediately panic when he saw that Luna wasn’t around. He quickly ran around the boat searching everywhere for her but soon realized that she definitely wasn’t on the boat. So where had she gone?
16. Continued Search
Nick was distraught by the entire situation and just couldn’t understand where Luna could have gone. She was near him the entire time and he had only taken his eyes off her for a bit. Nick continued to look for her…
15. Good Swimmer
Luna was a very good swimmer but Nick knew that she wouldn’t have been able to make it all the way to the San Diego coast on her own. Nick kept his hopes high that Luna would have instead attempted to swim toward the San Clemente island instead.
14. Coast Guard & Navy Help
Once he realized that it was certain that Luna had fallen overboard, Nick radioed for help from the Coast Guard and Navy. They sent out boats to look for Luna and Nick was feeling optimistic about the search. However, the search party told him that they most likely wouldn’t recover Luna…
13. Optimistic
Still, Nick remained optimistic that Luna would be recovered. He told the officials that Luna was a great swimmer with tons of experience. He knew that she was capable of reaching the San Clemente island if she headed in that direction.
12. Confused
Nick was still confused as to how Luna had been able to fall over in the first place. After all, this wasn’t their first trip out to sea at all. He never thought that he had to worry about a situation like this happening with Luna.
11. Navy
The island of San Clemente housing a Navy base, meaning that regular people aren’t allowed to head out there. However, the Navy made an exception for Nick so that he could search for Luna. He was sure that he would find her out there…
10. Two Days
Nick spent the next two days searching for Luna all around the island. Still, she was nowhere to be found. On top of that, the weather conditions from El Niño left the water rough with huge waves. Nick still continued to search with an open mind.
9. Leaving
After another two days of searching, Luna was still nowhere to be found. Nick knew that he couldn’t continue to impose on the Navy base any longer. He was forced to return home with a broken heart and with no Luna. Luna was then presumed to be lost at sea and dead.
8. Brokenhearted
Nick was absolutely brokenhearted by the tragic loss and everyone close to him could tell. His friend, Conner Lamb stated that, “He was devastated.” So Nick decided to honor Luna in the best way he knew how.
7. Facebook
Nick went onto Facebook and decided to make a tribute post to Luna. He posted some of his favorite pictures of her and wrote about how much she meant to him in his life. Eventually Nick had to return to his daily life without Luna by his side, so he embarked on a trip to Arizona.
6. Five Weeks
Meanwhile, on the coast of San Clemente, Navy staffers were arriving on the shores of the island when they spotted the oddest thing. Right there in front of them was an adorable dog wagging its tail. The dog was Luna!
5. Happy Pup
According to Melissa Booker, a Navy wildlife biologist who examined Luna after she was found, “Luna’s coat had camouflaged her so well that crews couldn’t spot her. Although Luna was slightly malnourished, she was in good health; she likely survived on small rodents during the five weeks she was missing.”
4. The Call
Nick was still in Arizona when he received the call that Luna had been found. He was so happy that he couldn’t contain himself. He quickly asked Conner to head out to the Navy Base and get Luna for him while he made his way back home.
3. Picking Her Up
Conner, of course, immediately obliged to the request. He headed out on his boat and went to pick up Luna. Luna was happy to see him but she really couldn’t wait to be reunited with her best friend…
2. Reunited
It was an emotional reunion between Nick and Luna when the pair finally saw each other. Nick was amazed at the fact that Luna was able to survive on her own for so many weeks on the island without anyone’s help. He always knew Luna was a fighter!
1. Extra Careful
Nick is super grateful to have Luna back in his life again. He still intends to go on fishing trips with his best buddy, but this time he said he’s going to keep a watchful eye over Luna at all times.