While a man's best friend had a lucky escape after abandoning ship, its owner did not fare so well.
On Friday night, a 43-year-old man was rescued from his 5.5m cabin cruiser after he had lost power and was drifting off the coast near Bull Creek, just south of Taieri Mouth.
The man had earlier set off flares, and a helicopter and a nearby vessel were sent to assist, Senior Sergeant Brian Benn said.
While the man gratefully transferred to the boat of his rescuers, his black Labrador was not so keen and abandoned ship as it was towed.
Because of the dark and the tides, the towing vessel could not bring the man's boat over Taieri Mouth bar and so it was anchored near an offshore island.
The rescued man was later taken to Taieri Mouth by Brighton Surf Life Saving Club volunteers in inflatable rescue boats.
Snr Sgt Benn said the man then spent the night sleeping in his 4WD.
When he woke up, he found his dog next to his vehicle.
On Saturday morning he successfully brought his vessel back to Taieri Mouth, but, Snr Sgt Benn said, at 6.30pm his alcohol-fuelled behaviour prompted police to send a patrol car from Mosgiel.
By the time police arrived, the man had left in his vehicle, towing the boat towards Waihola.
A short time later, police said, the Dunedin man was pulled over by a police patrol and recorded a breath-alcohol reading over 1000mcg. The legal limit is 400mcg.
