Portrait of dog. AirTag: model’s own.
This, I hope, is a story to warm your cockles. Apple’s tracker device, the AirTag, is a useful accessory which has helped me realize when I’ve left my keys at home (and the knowledge that that’s where they were at least gave me peace of mind along with cursing myself for being forgetful) and even reunited me with my iPad Air when I left it on a train.
But now, it has been instrumental in the rescue of a one-year-old Australian Shepherd puppy called Seamus. The photo above is my dog, but here’s Seamus, when he was found.
Seamus, found on debris.
A few days ago in San Bernardino County, California, Emilie Brill was walking Seamus when he got caught up in fast-moving waters in a flood control basin and was swept away before she could get to him. Horrifying for both of them.
Dogs being the smart creatures they are, Seamus managed to get out of the water after being buffeted along by the water for a mile, as far as a nearby access tube.
Seamus had regular I.D. on his collar, but also an AirTag. First responders said on the San Bernardino County Facebook page, “Seamus was equipped with both Apple AirTag & a conventional ID Tag, which aided rescuers and owners in tracking the pup and reuniting them.”
It’s not always been thought that an AirTag is a useful dog tracking device—Apple says you shouldn’t rely on the AirTag to keep track of your dog and, after all, most of the time they’re close enough to be seen—but it’s moments like this which suggest that in extreme and unexpected circumstances, an AirTag could be important.
Just as crucial was the fact that people saw the dog get into the access tube and Seamus was barking, too.
Firefighters “found Seamus in the tube staring back at them. He traveled nearly a mile from when he entered the storm drain. He miraculously made it out of the fast moving water & was stuck at the bottom of the tube. The crew took Seamus with them in the fire engine, drying & warming him up on the way to his house. Once arriving firefighters made contact with his worried owners & reunited the family back together.”
Seamus, rescued.
The firefighters used a ladder to climb 10 feet down into the tube to rescue Seamus, whom they found, “dirty and drenched” sitting on a pile of debris.
Whatever the advice, I’ve had an AirTag on my dog since they were first launched (though now attached by a less-intrusive clip than the attachment at the top of this post) and while I don’t rely on it, I’m glad it’s there.
