<\/p>\n
Turns out the first official rescue mission on Lake Nighthorse was for a 3-year-old pup named Otto who went overboard when his owner\u2019s single-person sailboat capsized after winds picked up Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought him on board and dried him off, and then put him in a cabin out of the wind,\u201d said Durango Police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop. \u201cBut he had been swimming and it was cold. He was not happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Durango resident, and Otto\u2019s owner, John Debbink set out with his canine companion around 12:30 p.m. to take advantage of the first day Lake Nighthorse was open for recreation.<\/p>\n
Around 3 p.m., Debbink said the wind started to pick up at the west side of the lake, so much so it overpowered his single-person sailboat, causing it to turn over and launch the two into the lake\u2019s 40-degree water.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoor Otto just got ejected,\u201d Debbink said. \u201cIt was a cold swim for him and me.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Debbink was trying to turn the boat right side up, Otto \u2013 who was wearing a personal flotation device for dogs \u2013 started to swim toward the shore, about three-quarters of a mile away. Debbink called Otto back just as police officers arrived in their patrol boat, which is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuckily, he had a life jacket with a handle, so they were able to pluck him right out of the water,\u201d Debbink said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a good reminder for people to always put a PFD on their dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
Otto, a 3-year-old shepherd mix Debbink has had since Otto was a puppy, was taken safely aboard and later reunited with his owner after Debbink got the sailboat righted and back to shore.<\/p>\n
Debbink said Otto loves to be aboard boats but isn\u2019t very fond of swimming. Otto also works as a therapy dog with children, Debbink said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dog was the first rescue on Lake Nighthorse,\u201d Dunlop said.<\/p>\n
About 30 minutes later, however, officers assisted a 60-year-old man who was also in a single-person sailboat that capsized several times. Dunlop said officers noticed the man in the water having difficulty and went over to him.<\/p>\n
The wind was so strong, Dunlop said, that the man and his sailboat were blown near the shoreline and stuck in an area of dead trees. Durango police officers were able to take the man and his boat aboard and back to shore.<\/p>\n
Dunlop said officers called EMS with concerns the man was experiencing hypothermia, but the man declined treatment.<\/p>\n
Despite the opening-day struggles with late-afternoon winds, Debbink said Lake Nighthorse has the potential to be the best lake in the area for sailing. The spring winds, however, are unpredictable and strong.<\/p>\n
Debbink estimated winds reached 20 mph Sunday.<\/p>\n