This is the story of a golden retriever that went missing 16 days ago and was accidentally spotted in Burnegat Bay, New Jersey by a man who was swimming there. A retriever from Brick, New Jersey swam about 75 yards from shore. Seeing the dog in the water the man immediately called the police.

Rescuers Ryan Koehler and Vincent Ferdinandi arrived at the scene and operatively rescued the dog. The retriever was exhausted and very tired. He was brought to the shore on a motor boat and given food. The dog was very hungry. He was weak and his whole body was shaking either from the cold or from fear.

“We placed the dog in a safe place to rest and let the family know that their dog had been found”, Ferdinandi told the magazine, PEOPLE.

The 3-year-old dog was playing in the yard of his house, but then he wandered into the forest near their house and disappeared. His family searched for him for a long time, but to no avail.

After 16 days, the dog was noticed near the shore by runners. They tried to approach the dog, but he got scared and jumped into the water. So he swam about 2 miles.

Soon the dog’s family arrived and the dog’s happiness knew no bounds.

“We are very happy that the family found their beloved pet”, Ferdinandi said.