Castaway canine rescued after being swept out to sea on a log

A helpless dog has been rescued after being swept out to sea during stormy weather in New Zealand.

The unlucky pooch was spotted by the Royal New Zealand Navy, floating on a log in Smokehouse Bay.

The Navy were on a customs operation to Great Barrier Island when ASCS Filipe Latu noticed the dog and requested his Commanding Officer for permission to retrieve him.

Four crew members were deployed on the mission which was a resounding success.

After the dog was taken ashore, the sailors also managed to locate its worried owners.

LT Norris said it was an unusual and unexpected sight: “There was significant debris in the water and on one large log floating in the water was this poor helpless dog. I would hate to think how long he was there.”

The Royal New Zealand Navy have published photos of the rescue on their Facebook page.