Puppy who swam for nearly 2 hours after being swept off the beach was rescued by marine police

• Virginia Marine Patrol spotted and rescued a stranded puppy swimming for his life.
• The puppy was swept away by a strong current and swimming for about two hours.
• The dog, Skip Jack, was reunited with his owner without any injuries, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

After discovering a puppy swimming near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia with its nose barely above the water, marine police officers rescued the dog, who had been pulled to sea by a strong current, Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported on Monday.

The puppy, named Skip Jack, was stuck in the water on a private beach for about two hours, Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported.

Skip Jack's owner, Kristin Vonclein, brought the puppy to a beach near the opening of the Rappahonnock River in Virginia, not too far from the bay, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine. In the past, Skip Jack didn't have a problem being by the water, the magazine reported.

But the current that day was strong and suddenly swept Skip Jack away, according to the same report.

Vonclein and a friend tried to rescue the dog from the current, but as he continued to swim, the waters proved too dangerous for them to traverse and they soon lost sight of Skip Jack, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

Then they called 911.

By chance, two Marine Patrol officers were stationed at a marina close by and were connected with Vonclein over the phone. The water was a little choppy and the bay is freckled with crab pot buoys - making it difficult for the two officers to spot the stranded puppy, officer Terrie McKellips told the Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

"We started a grid search. Then, right off the bow, I saw a brown nose," McKellips told the magazine. "It was the puppy! The dog was so tired it was barely holding its nose above the water. The rest of the dog was submerged. I don't know how we were able to see it."

Once onboard the police boat, Skip Jack was exhausted and then collapsed, according to Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

Reunited with his owner, Skip Jack was brought to a vet and Vonclein was told he had no injuries, only fatigue and soreness, Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported.

The officers who saved Skip Jack purchased a new life preserver vest for the dog, which they gifted to Vonclein later.

"Vonclein was so thankful, and the dog was full of energy as a puppy should be," McKellips told the Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

Representatives for Virginia Marine Patrol did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.