May 12, 2020 / By mobanmarket
SARASOTA COUNTY, FL – A Sarasota man’s dream of sailing to the Keys and around the Caribbean with his long-haired dachshund, Harley, became a nightmare over the weekend.
Shane A. Hale set sail from Marina Jack on Saturday, Aug. 25, in his 30-foot sailboat with his 5-year-old dog.
Hale and Harley had been inseparable since he adopted the rescue when he was 8 months old. Harley had been found abandoned following a tornado in Louisiana.
The man and dog didn’t get far, however. About three miles off the shore of Englewood, a nasty storm struck.
Hale said the sailboat’s engine quit, the boom broke and the sailboat began spinning around. The boat was beginning to sink when, to Hale’s horror, Harley fell overboard.
Hale quickly grabbed the tether he used to secure the dog’s life vest to the sailboat.
“When I pulled it, I realized there wasn’t enough weight on the end for a dog to be on there,” Hale said. “Sure enough, I pull it out and I just see his life jacket.”
Hale said he looked out and could see Harley’s head bobbing up and down in the swells.
“He was looking right at me as he tried to swim toward the boat,” he said. “It seemed like an eternity watching him struggle.”
Hale said Harley then began to swim away from the boat, and Hale knew at that moment he’d never see the little dog again.
“I laid there for the rest of the storm and I prayed for Harley and I prayed for me,” he said.
When the storm passed, Hale sent out a distress call. The Coast Guard arrived and towed the damaged boat to the Crow’s Nest Marina in Venice.
“I had gotten blown four miles out to shore before I got my anchor down,” he said.
He knew deep down there was no way a small dog could survive in the choppy waters.
“I never in a million years expected to see my dog again,” he said.
Nevertheless, he posted a plea on Facebook asking people to keep an eye out for Harley.
To his shock, he received a phone call the next day.
David Green and Julia Rausch were checking on their property on Manasota Beach when they found the little dog in the mangroves wearing his collar and tags.
Somehow, the little dachshund survived the three-mile swim to shore through the choppy waters.
“I didn’t think that he could make a journey like that,” said Hale. “Those were huge waves that day. It was an unbelievable sense of relief and joy.”
Hale said Harley was exhausted. Hale took him to the vet who said Harley had a mild case of pneumonia caused by saltwater entering in his lungs. Otherwise, the dog was in good condition after his harrowing ordeal.
Hale said his dream of sailing to the Caribbean lasted about 16 miles. From now on, he said, he and Harley plan to stick to dry land.
Friend James Pendley of Bradenton has set up a Go Fund Me page for Hale and Harley. After successfully battling a drug and alcohol addiction, Hale sold all of his possessions to buy the boat so he could set sail on a new chapter in his life.
“It’s been amazing to see his steady upward path these last couple years,” said Pendley.
He said he’s hoping to help his friend recoup the loss of the sailboat and allow Hale and Harley to move forward.
Go Fund Me is a Patch promotional partner.
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Images via Shane A. Hale
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