Water rescue pup tows 2,800lb pontoon boat back to safety

That’s a good dog! Water rescue pup tows 2,800lb pontoon boat back to safety in choppy Pennsylvania waters

• Newfoundland pup, Oakley, successfully pulled a 2,800 boat to safety as waters became choppy ahead of a storm
• Oakley was trained by the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue, which teaches dogs to execute rescues in water out of boats, jet skis and helicopters
• Oakley is one of just two US dogs trained using the rescue methods made famous by the Scuola Italiana Cani da Salvataggio in Italy

A water rescue trained dog saved a boat that had been pulled off course by a strong current and choppy waters in a Beltzville, Pennsylvania lake.

Oakley, the Newfoundland who trains with the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue in Massachusetts, executed the impressive rescue just before a storm rolled in.

‘We swam out and Oakley took the mooring rope in his mouth and turned that big pontoon into the current and pulled it all the way to her walking depth!’ wrote George Abraham, who runs Oakley’s Instagram account: @that_nepa_newfie.

In the video, Oakley can be seen in her doggy rescue goggles and gear, dragging a boat many times her size and weight out of the lake’s current against a backdrop of growing storm clouds.

Oakley was trained by the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue in Massachusetts

Newfoundlands, golden retrievers and some other breeds are trained by the school to execute water rescues out of boats, off of jet skis, and out of helicopters

Oakley sports specialty rescue goggles. She is one of just two US dogs trained using the methods of the Scuola Italiana Cani da Salvataggio – the Italian counterpart to the American Academy

Oakley was trained by the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue in Southborough, Massachusetts and is one of just two dogs in the United States that is trained using the methods of the Scuola Italiana Cani da Salvataggio – the Italian counterpart to the American Academy.

Water rescue dogs, which include breeds such as Newfoundlands, German shepherds and golden retrievers, are taught how to execute rescues off of boats, jet skis, and even out of helicopters.

‘Newfoundland Dogs, as well as Labrador Retrievers and certain other breeds, were specifically bred to rescue people in the water.

‘When this natural instinct is enhanced via clear training, bonding techniques with a human handler then the dog/human team becomes beyond compare as a rescue entity for people in danger of drowning,’ reads the Academy’s website.

Oakley appears to spend most of her year training for various water rescue demonstrations and event around the world. 

Oakley executes a rescue out of a helicopter – a method called a helocast.

Oakley and other Newfoundlands go through intense obedience trainings before they are ready to execute water rescues

The pup tugged the 2,800lb boat to safety before a storm

Oakley successfully executed the rescue, for which she had been trained

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