Labrador owners had no knowledge she got swept out to sea until they checked her 'Airtag.' They sprinted to the lifeguards on the beach
A couple visiting San Diego had no idea anything was wrong until they checked the AirTag on their black Lab-mix’s collar and noticed something that made them move fast. They ran toward the beach in worry, not knowing how far things had already gone. On Sunday, November 23, 2025, lifeguards were called into action, stepping in to respond to a situation that quickly drew their full attention.
As reported by ABC News on Thursday, December 4, 2025, the story began when Sadie slipped out the front door of the home where the couple was staying. It happened during a football game, and by the time they realized she was missing, the AirTag on her collar showed her location heading toward Ocean Beach. At nearly the same moment, a surfer rushed to the lifeguards, saying there was a dog in the Mission Bay channel. Lifeguard Garrett Smerdon revealed it was “a unique thing that I personally have never experienced,” but he knew the strong current could sweep a dog far from shore. They launched a jet ski to begin searching for the five-year-old dog. Lifeguard Jack Alldredge said they searched for almost an hour and then agreed to continue “10 more minutes,” adding that all he could think was, “Please let us find this dog.”
The search expanded with more units, including the surf boat crew and the U.S. Coast Guard working along the channel. The team moved across the water, checking each section as currents shifted. They gathered as a group and felt there was “a good chance that Sadie was still alive,” so they pushed on. As they made their way back, Alldredge suddenly pointed toward the distance and said, “Hey, I see something over there.” When the jet ski approached, they realized it was the dog, carried nearly half a mile offshore near South Mission Beach. Alldredge mentioned they grew “pretty excited” as they closed in because they finally knew it was her. Smerdon explained that Sadie looked exhausted but was “super happy to see us.” They lifted her onto the jet ski, moved her to the surf boat, and brought her safely back to Lifeguard headquarters.
Back on shore, the couple, Alexis and Brandon, waited anxiously beside lifeguards. They recalled in the video that they were right there when the call came in over the walkie-talkie, saying the dog had been found, adding, “We kind of just held our breath… the dog is alive… and we kind of just started crying right away.” Moments later, at the Lifeagurd headquarters, Sadie "was reunited with her very relieved owners," read the caption of the Facebook post by San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Lifeguard Garrett said, “We just really wanted a happy ending, and we're glad that Sadie got to go back home and, you know, survive this pretty traumatic event.”