Collie found alive 24 hours after going overboard

A dog which fell into the sea from a yacht has been found alive a day later – after swimming into a cave.

Desperate searches for collie Jonah, also known as Toobs, were launched after she jumped overboard while at sea.

Owner Wayne Booth said he believed his dog swam to shore after disappearing while sailing off St Mawes, near Falmouth, Cornwall, according to the Daily Mail.

Booth says Toobs normally wears a life jacket on the yacht but had been below deck and must have sneaked past him to make an ill-fated jump into the dinghy he was towing behind.

A police and coastguard search, both on land and at sea, was launched but failed to find the animal.

But a day later, two 19-year-old kayakers came across her in a cave near St Anthony’s lighthouse that was only accessible by boat.

She was rescued to a nearby beach and has now been reunited with her relieved owner.

Booth, of Falmouth, Cornwall, told the BBC: “It has been [the] best afternoon possible.

“They picked her up and took a fishing hook stuck in her shoulder out, put her on top of the kayak and rode her back out.

“They put it on the internet and I had loads of phone calls. We are now all sitting here and Toobs is very happy and very tired.

“Anyone that knows me knows I always wear a life jacket and Toobs does as well. But she was below deck while we were sailing and at some time she came up and sneaked past me.

“I did not see her. She must have climbed up behind me and tried to jump into the dingy we were towing behind. That was the only place it does not have any netting.

“She must have tried to jump in it and missed.”

“We were randomly kayaking having a look into the caves and this one was the last one we were going into,” says one of the rescuers.

“She was extremely friendly and we carefully got her on the kayak and took her to the nearest beach.

“She was in pretty good nick considering she had quite a long swim.”