It was a sunny Sunday on San Diego’s Ocean Beach when lifeguards noticed surfers in a panic. They were waving their boards from a jetty, desperately trying to get the lifeguards’ attention.

There was a dog in the water in distress. About five surfers tried to help the dog onto the jetty, but she got spooked and jumped back into the water, where she was pulled out by a powerful rip current and was fighting to keep her head above water, said Marine Safety Lt. Ryan Foster with San Diego Fire-Rescue.

The dog, Sadie, a Labrador retriever mix, had gotten out of an Airbnb nearby and bolted to the beach.

“This was very out of character for her,” said Alexis Barcellos, 30, one of Sadie’s owners, explaining that the dog’s nickname is “Sissy Lala” because she’s so timid.

The day it happened, Nov.

See Full Page