A group of workers on an oil rig located 220km off the coast of Thailand were surprised to discover a dog swimming in the middle of the sea.

When found, the small brown dog was shivering from the cold. It is unclear how the dog ended up swimming so far away from shore.

Vitisak Payalaw said his colleagues found the dog swimming towards the oil rig in the evening of April 12th, using its last bit of strength. They attempted to rescue the dog using a stick, but the rough waves made it impossible for the small animal to climb up.

“I think if we had not been timely in our actions, we would not have been able to help the animal. If it had not been able to cling on, it would have been very difficult to rescue,” Payalaw shared.

Payalaw said, “Its eyes were so sad. It just kept looking up just like it wanted to say, ‘please help me.’ At that moment, anyone who saw the dog would have helped.”

The team of workers decided to lower a rope, loop it around the animal, and pull it up. The dog was drenched and had no strength left, unable to stand on its own. Once on the oil rig, the small dog was given electrolyte water. The workers on the rig named the dog Boonrod, which means “survivor” in Thai.

By 10 a.m. the next day (April 15th), Boonrod was returned to land and handed over to an animal welfare organization. Currently, the dog is being cared for at a veterinary clinic in the province of Songkhla. Payalaw said that if no one comes to claim Boonrod as their own, he will adopt the dog himself.