The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a missing boater and a dog off the coast of Catalina Island on Saturday evening.
According to a U.S. Coast Guard press release, a good Samaritan put in a distress call around 8 p.m. reporting that his friend and their dog were missing and had last been seen four to five hours earlier before they allegedly fell asleep.
While the vessel was unable to communicate directly with the Coast Guard, it was able to relay information through a marine assistance service, TowBoatUS Ventura, officials said.
Search and rescue coordination was led by a boat crew from the Coast Guard Station Los Angeles and an air crew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego, and the air unit was the first to spot the missing boater and dog in a dinghy approximately 18 miles east of Avalon.
“The individual was reported to have mild hypothermia but no major medical concerns,” Coast Guard officials said.
An assisting local agency, BayWatch Cabrillo, rescued the boater and transported them to shore where they were treated by paramedics.
The condition of the dog was not disclosed.
