It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway for Sadie and her humans — a simple vacation to San Diego for a few days of getaway, sunshine, and family time. Instead, on November 23, 2025, that family outing became a heart-wrenching ordeal. Sadie, a black Labrador retriever mix, dashed out the front door of the house they were staying in and vanished without a trace. In a matter of seconds, joy turned to panic.
Her owners, Alexis and Brandon, were left scrambling — afraid, desperate, and clinging to hope. The terror of losing a beloved pet far from home is something many pet-owners can empathize with.
A GPS Collar Becomes a Lifeline
Thankfully, Sadie was wearing a GPS collar. When the couple checked the tracker, their hearts skipped a beat: the signal pointed them toward Ocean Beach, San Diego — roughly two miles from where they were staying.
Armed with this glimmer of hope, they rushed to the shoreline. But what transpired next was something even more nightmarish. A local surfer, alarmed, alerted rescue teams — he had seen a dog swept off a jetty and dragged into the ocean’s rip current.
Lifeguards and Coast Guard Launch a Rescue in the Rough Sea
Answering the call were lifeguards Garrett Smerdon and Jack Alldredge — along with a small boat from the U.S. Coast Guard. They launched into the surf from Mission Beach, San Diego, hoping against hope to find Sadie alive…