Associated Press
HONOLULU — A fishing crew rescued a dog Sunday from an abandoned tanker where it had been adrift for 19 days, Humane Society officials said.
Martha Armstrong, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, said the crew was onboard the Insiko 1907 and planned to bring Forgea back to Honolulu with them when they return next week from fishing.
"They were trying to calm her down," she said. "She’s been without company for 19 days, with several flyovers, she’s probably really excited."
Pamela Burns, president of the Hawaiian Humane Society, said the white mixed-breed terrier was doing well.
"It is walking and running around, but it’s quite scared," Burns said.
A Coast Guard plane, which spotted the tanker 250 miles east of Johnston Island, dropped the crew’s lunches to the tanker Saturday after the dog was seen running around the deck.
The Indonesian tanker was disabled by a fatal fire March 13 that killed one crewman and cut off power and communications. The crew was rescued April 2 by a cruise liner south of Hawaii, but the captain’s 2-year-old dog was left aboard.
The Hawaiian Humane Society quickly mounted a $50,000 rescue effort for Forgea, but the air-and-sea search ended April 7 when the tanker couldn’t be found.
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