Heidi, a German Shepherd, was found swimming among floating boating equipment in Queensland’s Moreton Bay in February 2020. A fisherman brought her to safety, but a fuel tank, tackle box and wetsuit suggested that the emergency involved more than a dog.
The discovery prompted Brisbane Water Police to launch a search. A helicopter, police vessels and volunteer rescuers joined the operation. Later that morning, Heidi’s owner was found holding onto his partly submerged boat after it had lost power and taken on water the previous evening.
Both survived. Heidi received a veterinary check and somewhere to rest while her owner was taken to hospital. She had not guided rescuers directly to him; finding her and the scattered equipment had supplied the warning that sent them looking.
Sources: Queensland Police account: Man and dog rescued WHDH: Heidi's rescue prompted search for her owner