ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico rescued an injured dog that was swimming offshore after fleeing when his owner was struck and killed by a car near the beach.
The bizarre incident unfolded Saturday afternoon on Siesta Key, about 40 miles south of St. Petersburg.
Rory O’Connor, a tourist from Bellingham, Wash., was kayaking when he spotted a dog swimming about a half- mile offshore.
“I pulled him into the kayak, and he was really scared” and bleeding, O’Connor said.
Luckily, the dog had a microchip, and the veterinarian’s office contacted the family of Donna Chen, 53, who was struck and killed while jogging.
O’Connor said he is thankful that the dog is back with the Chen family. “We thought the dog was a very special dog,” O’Connor said Tuesday.
