CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – Thirty-six hours after going missing during a boating accident, one family has been reunited with their beloved golden retriever after he traveled across the Ashley River.
It was on Sunday evening when Jeff Wiseman and his one-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever, Rocky, went out for a boat ride on the Ashley River. Becoming distracted by his phone, Jeff said he accidentally hit an abandoned concrete dock, launching both Jeff and Rocky in the water.
“It was just a moment of real careless boating that almost cost us,” Jeff said.
About a half-mile south of Dolphin Cove Marina, Jeff swam to shore looking for Rocky, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Authorities quickly came to the scene to help look for Rocky and escort Jeff to the hospital after being left with seven broken ribs from the accident. But locating Rocky was still unsuccessful.
“My fear was that he was hurt or injured, you know that he was suffering somewhere or dead,” Jeff said. “I mean, the grief and guilt you feel when a moment of your carelessness might have hurt or killed you and your buddy like that.”
Jeff’s wife, Kim, quickly posted on Facebook asking boaters to keep an eye out for Rocky in the water or on the shore.
The social media post quickly exploded around the Lowcountry with everyone near and far concerned about Rocky’s safety.
“I don’t think we even realized the scope of how far that the news has spread,” Kim said. I mean, just blown away. Blown away on how far it had been shared and how many people were out looking for him.”
The search initially focused on the right side of the Ashley River since that is where the accident took place.
“People were out there on jet skis, kayaks, boats; they had drones everywhere, and when they didn’t see him in the water that actually gave us some hope that maybe he made it to land,” Jeff said.
Then 36 hours later, on Tuesday morning, Rocky was spotted on the opposite side of the Ashley River chasing after a raccoon on a West Ashley couple’s dock.
“We can’t believe it. We were really bracing for the worst, and this is the best outcome we could have hoped for,” Kim said.
Both the Wisemans say the lifejacket easily saved Rocky’s life.
“Everyone is talking about how they’re going to go online and order life vests for their dogs. That’s a great lesson to take away from this,” Kim said.
Rocky is now at home with an injured ankle and is completely exhausted but is recovering well.
The Wisemans say they are extremely thankful for everyone in the Lowcountry who helped spread the word about Rocky. They hope this story can inspire more dog owners to get lifejackets and promote boater safety.
“We would never have anticipated or imagined just how the community, how the Lowcountry came together and rallied for Rocky,” Kim said. “They didn’t know us, they didn’t know Rocky, but everyone seemed to come together to save one little dog. That’s been so heartwarming, and we’re just incredibly grateful.”
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