Thai oil rig workers rescue dog swimming 135 miles offshore

In this Friday, April 12, 2019, photo, a dog sits on an oil rig after being rescued in the Gulf of Thailand. “Survivor” the dog is safely back on land after being found by oil rig workers swimming about 220 kilometers (135 miles) from shore in the Gulf of Thailand. Chevron Thailand worker Vitisak Payalaw posted on Facebook that the dog was sighted last Friday swimming toward the platform. Vitisak says the pup clung to the platform below deck without barking or whimpering. The workers think the dog fell off a fishing trawler. (Vitisak Payalaw via AP)

BANGKOK  — A dog found swimming more than 220 kilometers (135 miles) from shore by workers on an oil rig crew in the Gulf of Thailand has been returned safely to land.

A worker on the rig belonging to Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Vitisak Payalaw, said on his Facebook page that they saw the dog swimming toward the platform last Friday. He said they were lucky to spot it because if there had been waves it probably would not have been visible.

The dog made it to the platform, clinging to the support structure below deck without barking or whimpering, Vitisak wrote.

The crew managed to lower a rope and secure it around the dog’s neck and haul it up. Vitisak said they speculated the dog might have fallen off a fishing trawler, and dubbed it Boon Rod, or Survivor.

The dog was delivered by boat to the southern port of Songkhla on Monday and was declared in good shape after being taken to the animal protection group Watchdog Thailand.

Vitisak said if the dog was unclaimed, he would like to take it to his home in northeast Thailand. /muf