As a group of workers was toiling on the massive oil rig in the Gulf of Thailand, one of them spotted a pretty unusual sight.
A terrified dog somehow found himself there in the ocean and no one knew how. It was Vitisak Payalaw who alerted the crew of the poor animal.
The shivering dog was all puzzled, as was the entire group of people. How could an animal so tiny end up 135 miles off the coast?
But that was not really important. What was crucial was for them to come up with a plan to get him out of the water.
First, the workers tried pulling him off by lowering a pole, hoping the animal would be able to climb onto. But the plan failed as the dog kept slipping off.
“I thought that if we didn’t move quickly, I would not be able to help him,” Vitisak said. “If he lost his grip, it would be very difficult to help him.”
Eventually, they managed to lasso the poor soul with a rope. Once on the rig, the dog felt relieved knowing he was at a safe place.
“His eyes were so sad. He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, ‘please help me,’” Vitisak said. “At that moment, whoever saw this, they would just have to help.”
The kind people not only saved the dog from certain death, but they also gave him lots of food, water, and a bunch of hugs. His tiny eyes were filled with gratitude for those who lent him a helping hand. They named him Boonrod, a Thai word for ‘survivor.’
“He looked extremely exhausted and ran out of energy. He didn’t move much,” said Vitisak. “He was shaking and he couldn’t stand, he had to sit all the time.”
The next thing they needed to do was to come up with a plan on how to transport Boonrod to the mainland. How they did it? They erected a special cage with a blanket and water and had it lifted by a crane onto a ship.
All of the workers said how they would miss the sweet pup, but they knew he was about to start his new, better life.
Once on a land, Boonrod was taken in by Watcdog Thailand, an organization that helps neglected and abused dogs. They took him for a check-up and were willing to help him recover from the ordeal.
They also hope someone will come along and offer him a forever home. But in case that doesn’t happen until Vitisak returns home, then he would be the one taking the dog in.
Boonrod is only able to start his life again thanks to the workers who spotted him and wanted to help.