Good Samaritans rescue missing dog found swimming in Deltona lake

DELTONA, Fla. - A missing dog was rescued from the middle of a Deltona lake on Sunday afternoon, all thanks to some watchful eyes.

"When we look over here, we could see he was swimming over in this direction," Leslie Acosta said. 

She watched as her family members sprang into action to get Dax, a five-year-old shepherd lab mix, out of the water as quickly as possible from Lake Dupont.

"You don't know about the underwater currents or if there could be gators," Acosta said.

A cellphone video shared with FOX 35 showed her family attempting to rescue Dax with a canoe. But when that didn't work, they brought out a jon boat.

"I looked and saw him just swimming across, and he looked pretty tired," Irving Colon said.

He drove the boat and brought a tired Dax to safety.

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"I have a dog, so I definitely wouldn't want that to happen to my dog. And if anybody would see my dog or any dog, I am hoping they would do the same thing," Colon said.

Dax is now safe and sound and has been reunited with his family. His owners didn't want to talk on camera, but they did want to pass along the following statement:

"Dax’s adventurous spirit got the better of him on the 25th when our fence gate broke. Luckily for our family there were people kind enough to go above and beyond in assisting his return home. We’re incredibly grateful for the individuals who pulled him out of the lake! Not to mention the extra time they put in afterwards to care for him. I’d also like to thank the local Facebook community for assisting in the search as well as the local shelters for providing additional information. Having Dax back means more than they could know. We’re blessed to be surrounded by such a phenomenal community."

It's no doubt an afternoon neither Dax nor the family who rescued him will forget.

"It was exhilarating and exciting. I mean, yeah, we got some action on a Sunday. We got to do a little Baywatch rescue mission," Acosta said.

Dax's family says he was alone for about 12 hours before being rescued about a mile and a half from his home. He was a bit sore from the running but is now doing just fine.