Golden Retriever Chunk, missing for 2 weeks, rescued from Barnegat Bay

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Golden Retriever missing for 2 weeks rescued and reunited with family

Crystal Cranmore has more on the beloved dog's rescue and the happy reunion with his owners.

BARNEGAT, New Jersey (WABC) -- A beloved dog that had been missing for more than two weeks is back with his ecstatic owners Tuesday, after being plucked from Barnegat Bay by New Jersey State Police.

Authorities say Troopers Ryan Koehler and Vincent Ferdinandi, of Point Pleasant Station, were preparing for their shift when they were dispatched to the report of a dog swimming in the bay.

They responded in a vessel and located the Golden Retriever in the area of the Mantoloking Bridge.

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Indie the missing dog was found far from her Upper West Side home in a warehouse in Queens living with stray cats.

They were able to bring him safely to shore, and he was identified as Chunk, a 3-year-old pooch that had been reported missing out of Brick since June 6.

"Your mind starts to think, did he get hit by a car, in the woods dying?" owner Marie Zangara said.

Two joggers who recognized Chunk from posters around town saw him jump into the water around 7 a.m. Jim Mathis was nearby fishing in his boat.

"They started waving at me," he said. "I came close to him, and he kept trying to back away from the boat. Once I backed off, he started to swim toward land."

But not before Mathis had a chance to grab Chunk's collar and notify the owners. Meanwhile, the troopers hoisted Chunk to safety.

"We positioned our boat, got (the) line ready, acted as a leash," Koehler said. "Line around dog and guide him up to the docks."

The pup was healthy, if not a little ragged.

"He had some mats in his fur," Zangara said. "He's covered in ticks."

The family had been desperately searching for him.

"He ran into the woods with his toy," Jim Zangara said. "I said, 'Come on, buddy'...He turned around and booked. I think he might've been startled by somebody."

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