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Ferry Passenger Recalls Dog's Rescue Off Martha's Vineyard

BOSTON (CBS) - From the deck of the Island Queen on Monday, passenger Carol Potier saw a strange sight: a small dog paddling in the middle of the ocean off Martha's Vineyard.

"He was sort of swimming in circles and he was too far out and he wasn't heading towards land or anything and we didn't know how long he had been there," Potier said.

The ferry couldn't reach him so they summoned a smaller fishing boat, the Lovely Day.

"They came up and they had a net and they were able to pick him up on to the boat and cradle him, wrap him in a towel give everyone a high five and the whole boat cheered," Potier said.

Dog
Dog rescued off Martha's Vineyard (Image from Leslie Souza)

"You could tell he wanted help because as soon as the boat slowed he swam right over," she said.

It was an emotional ferry ride for passengers with a happy ending thanks to the Island Queen and the Lovely Day. A little teamwork made a big difference.

"It was so exciting, I got a little emotional actually," Potier said.

The dog belongs to a family that was leaving Martha's Vineyard on another ferry. The owner had the leash but the dog took off. The ferry crew couldn't find the dog and he ended up in the water. He was eventually reunited with his family.

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