A dog that went missing after falling overboard from a boat near the Blue Lagoon has been safely reunited with his owners.
Arno, a five-year-old Lakeland terrier, was travelling with Slovenian sailor Bogdan Zvanut, 74, and his wife Petra as they sailed from Sicily to Malta on Monday.
The couple stopped near the Blue Lagoon in the late afternoon when the sea was choppy. According to Zvanut, Arno had gone towards the bow of the boat. Moments later, the couple realised they could no longer see him.
They searched the boat and the surrounding water, then retraced their route in the hope of spotting him at sea. Zvanut told Times of Malta that he and his wife were desperate to find Arno, who is very much part of their life at sea.
Arno is used to boats and swimming, with the couple describing the sailing boat as his “second home”. They had taken safety precautions on board, including installing a net around most of the boat, but the bow was the only section without one.
After searching around Comino, the couple made their way to Mġarr harbour, where they alerted the harbour master and asked for assistance.
Around the same time, staff from Bluewaves Water Sports spotted something floating in the water near the edge of the Blue Lagoon. When they got closer, they realised it was a dog.
The watersports staff pulled Arno safely onto their boat. They said he was calm and well-behaved, despite being found away from the shore, and appeared to be used to being at sea.
Meanwhile, the harbour master in Gozo alerted skippers and boat operators about the missing dog.
After around two hours of waiting, the couple received the news they had been hoping for: Arno had been found and was in the care of animal welfare officers.
The family was reunited on Tuesday, with Zvanut expressing his gratitude for the help they received from the authorities, watersports staff and animal welfare services.
The Zvanuts and Arno now plan to continue their journey through the Mediterranean, thankful for the people in Malta and Gozo who helped bring their much-loved dog safely back to them.
Photo Credits: Bognan Zvanut / BLUEWAVES WATERSPORTS
