When you’re 135 miles from shore, there’s not much to see besides a lot of water. So when workers on an oil rig near southern Thailand saw what looked like a dog bobbing in the water, they were stunned.
“I thought that if we didn’t move quickly, I would not be able to help him,” Vitisak Payalaw, an offshore planner with Chevron, told CNN.
Payalaw and three other crew members spotted the canine swimming towards the oil rig’s platform and used a pole to try and rescue him.
“His eyes were so sad. He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, ‘please help me,'” he said.
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FChevron%2Fphotos%2Fa.10150431758480467%2F10161357657285467%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500″ /]
Before the waves made the dog’s rescue impossible, the crew threw a rope down to the dog and looped it around his neck. Once the dog was onboard, it was clear that he was ” extremely exhausted.”
“He was shaking and he couldn’t stand, he had to sit all the time.”
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FChevron%2Fphotos%2Fa.10150431758480467%2F10161357657305467%2F%3Ftype%3D3&width=500″ aspect_ratio=”4:3″ /]
Workers cleaned up the dog and gave him food and water. They also welded a makeshift cage so they wouldn’t have to worry about the canine going for a swim again.
They workers also gave the dog a name, Boonrod. According to NPR, Boonrod means “he has done good karma and that helps him to survive.”
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D3315518398474448%26set%3Da.511024998923816%26type%3D3&width=500″ /]
After spending two days on the oil rig, Boonrod was transferred to land where Watchdog Thailand, a rescue group, facilitated his care.
Since no one knew how Boonrod got so far out to sea, it’s possible he fell or jumped from a boat, he was placed in a shelter to await his owner or a potential new family.
Payalaw said if the dog remained unclaimed by the time he finished working on the oil rig, he would adopt Boonrod.
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D3318938328132455%26set%3Da.367387629954221%26type%3D3&width=500″ aspect_ratio=”4:3″ /]
Since no one claimed Boonrod, Payalaw ended up adopting him and brought him to his home in northeast Thailand.
The dog has since been enjoying his new life on land.
[arve url=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D3320608587965429%26set%3Da.367387629954221%26type%3D3&width=500″ /]
If it wasn’t for Vitisak Payalaw’s watchful eyes, Boonrod might have been swept even further out to sea.
Pass this story on to thank him for rescuing Boonrod and for giving him a loving home.
