On July 16, 2026, Prieta, missing since the Fourth of July weekend, was spotted swimming alone near the Dumbarton Bridge. Firefighters, police, boats, an airboat, binoculars, and a drone helped bring the small dog back to shore and eventually back to family.

She kept swimming

Prieta had vanished after a noisy holiday weekend. Days later, someone saw a dog enter the bay and called 911.

The fire district’s simple line stayed with the story: she just kept swimming.

A rescue over open water

Rescuers tracked her from shore and water, using binoculars, boats, an airboat, and a drone. Half a mile of bay is an ocean for a small dog.

Wrapped in a towel among firefighters, the story turned from missing to alive.

Back to family

The SPCA helped identify her and return her home.

It is a small story, but it shows what happens when a city notices a life in time.

Timeline

• Fourth of July weekend 2026 Prieta went missing.
• 2026-07-16 A 911 call reported a dog entering the bay.
• That day Firefighters and police rescued her.
• Afterward SPCA reunited her with family.

Public sources

• The Guardian: missing dog rescued from San Francisco Bay
• People: dog missing since Fourth of July found swimming alone
• Menlo Park Fire District Instagram cited by Guardian