A picture is worth a thousand words. But the photo of the rescued dog doesn't even begin to describe the journey this poodle took over the weekend.
Maggie Bartone, owner: "It was just an adventure for her."
On Saturday, Maggie Bartone's husband was walking their poodle, Hoku, in a park near their home in Bath. That's when Hoku got a little adventurous.
Bartone "He let her off and she went to explore down the river. He decided it was time to go home, he called her name and she didn't come."
Hoku had been playing on a chunk of ice when the ice broke off from shore and they both set sail.
Bartone: "She got to the edge of the ice flow, but it started tipping. She backed up and just stood there. And then the current pretty quickly took her out 30 feet, then to the middle of the river."
Hoku's ice adventure took her up the Kennebec River. She passed the boat landing and the maritime museum. Soon, she was headed right for Bath Iron Works. That's when her owner made a quick call to a friend for a big favor.
Bartone: "He called his friend Joe. Joe called BIW security. They started racing up Washington Street toward BIW to see if they could see the boat and come out to get her."
Sgt. Paul White, Bath Iron Works security: "We just got the boat going and headed out. The dog was probably 250 feet south of the dry dock. We coasted up. The fellow that was with me took hold of the leash and the dog jumped right up on the boat and away we went."
It was a lucky save for a very lucky dog.
Bartone: "We are so incredibly thankful that the BIW security people had the boat and took the time to go out there to get a dog. It was amazing."
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