A dog that went missing after a yacht capsized off the Northland coast has been found alive and well four days later — still wearing her life jacket. Reported by James Ball from 1News.
Rimu, a curly-coated retriever, disappeared when the yacht she was on capsized near Elizabeth Reef off Whananaki on December 30. On Saturday, she was spotted emerging from bushes at nearby Cabbage Tree Bay in Matapouri by a group of spearfishers, days after the incident.
Georgia Farmer, who was at the bay with her children at the time, told 1News that one of the spearfishers initially noticed the dog, but she appeared frightened and hesitant to approach people.
"I had my kid's lunch box with me so I was able to get close to her and give her the food out of it and fill it with water. The spearos gave her some fish roe from the fish they caught," she said.
"After this she felt a bit more comfortable coming to me and she let me pet her and get her clipped to a rope so she wouldn't run off."
The yacht had capsized in rough seas around 5:10pm on December 30 after reportedly striking Elizabeth Reef. A man in a small runabout crossed open waters to rescue the skipper before emergency services arrived, with witnesses later describing him as “a real hero”.
Police confirmed at the time that a dog had been onboard the vessel and was missing after the skipper was brought safely ashore and assessed by ambulance staff.
Once Rimu was secured, Farmer shared the update on social media, which helped connect her with someone who knew the dog’s owner. Arrangements were then made to transport Rimu to the Whale Bay car park for a reunion.
"He was so happy to see her and Rimu got a boost of energy and couldn't contain her excitement as soon as she saw him," Farmer said.
"It was a beautiful reunion and great that community rallied together to get Rimu back with her owner."
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