Family Dog Rescued from Ft. Lauderdale Waterway

Captain Chris Young of TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale came upon a dog in the Mercedes River near Pier 66 Hotel and Marina on Monday afternoon. The dog appeared tired and confused when Chris approached her aboard one of the company's towboats. Chris commented that the dog was trying unsuccessfully to swim against the current while getting swept toward the busy Intracoastal Waterway. Once alongside he eased her out of the water and got her comfortable aboard the boat. Fortunately, she was wearing dog tags on her collar which made it easy to locate her owner. James Kleineck was contacted and he immediately rushed to Lauderdale Marina to pick up his 2 year old Cavalier King Spaniel named "Soukie". He was unaware that the dog had fallen off the dock at their home situated on the East side of Lake Sylvia. James commented the following day "We are so thankful to Chris for saving her, she swam so far and it really is a miracle that she survived. I took her to the veterinarian right away and she is recovering nicely from this experience. We have had her since she was a puppy and we can't imagine the thought of losing her; we can't thank you enough!"

Chris Young has been a member of the TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale team since 2008. He was hired as a captain and was promoted to the position of Assistant Supervisor in early 2011.