Watch: Officer Saves Coyote Swimming In Sarasota Bay

SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota Police Department’s Marine Patrol Unit recently helped guide a coyote swimming in Sarasota Bay safely to shore, Sarasota police shared on the agency’s Facebook page Saturday.

A charter captain alerted the Marine Patrol about a dog stranded in New Pass Inlet. When Officer Ron Dixon arrived, he jumped in the water to capture the struggling animal with no luck, police said.

When he jumped in the water again later, he realized the dog was actually a coyote. The officer guided the coyote back toward land and onto the rocks near Ken Thompson Park. When the coyote reached land, he sprinted back into the woods safely, police said.

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Members of the Marine Patrol Unit captured a video of the swimming coyote and shared it to social media. Watch the video below: