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 HONOLULU, HI (USA)
— The call came that we've all been waiting for:
at 4:15pm (HST) yesterday, the drifting tanker Insiko 1907 was
spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard approximately 250 nautical miles east
of Johnston Island. On board and still alive is "Forgea"
the captain's white dog that had been left behind nearly three weeks
ago when the rest of the surviving crew was evacuated (April 2).
On Saturday, the Coast Guard made visual contact as part of a
mission to determine if the burned-out ship poses a threat to Johnston
Island, a wildlife preserve, reports The
Hawaii Channel. The Indonesian tanker, still carrying
200 tons of fuel, was badly damaged by an engine room fire last month
that was blamed on a short-circuit.
According to the report, the Coast Guard dropped their lunches
(pizza and granola bars) on the deck for the dog to eat. The
tenacious dog, who has managed to survive on what little rice and fish
rations left by the captain, was reported to be in good condition,
running onboard the ship.
It is unclear why the Coast Guard was unable to evacuate the dog,
but the Hawaiian
Humane Society (HHS), which has been coordinating rescue efforts,
has been notified of the ship's exact location.
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Prior to yesterday's contact, authorities had written off the dog as
dead and the $50,000 rescue attempt by the HHS a failure. On April
7, after having searched 14,800 square miles of ocean, the HHS-commissioned
boat American Quest returned to port empty-handed, reporting that
the 256-foot tanker had apparently sunk.
However, at 9:20pm April 9, the Japanese fishing vessel Victoria
City reported seeing "a darkened ship with no lights that
appeared to be adrift" approximately 400 nautical miles south of
Kauai. This sighting rekindled rescue efforts by the HHS and
American Marine Corporation, who attempted to enlist the help of fishing
boats in the area.
The U.S. Coast Guard, while providing invaluable information and
support to the rescue operation, declined to actively participate.
Last week, Coast Guard Petty Officer Lauren Smith told The
Star-Bulletin that the chances of the dog still being alive were
"nil to none."
Never underestimate the spirit of a dog; two weeks ago, HHS
spokesperson Eve Holt told The Scoop, "All we need is for her
to be alive when we get there."
It looks like Forgea has kept up her end of the bargain, folks.
UPDATE (Apr. 22):
Castaway Dog Rescued at Sea
UPDATE (Apr. 27):
Forgea Rescued! (We really mean it this time)
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