Photo Credit: YouTube

A little dog swept away by a massive wave is very lucky to be able to wag his tail today after a beautiful day in Hawaii nearly turned tragic.

The dramatic scene that occurred at remote China Walls on the island of Oahu, a popular spot among swimmers who leap from the rocky cliff into the turquoise waves below, was captured on video by a drone over the weekend.

The footage shows the playful dog happily scampering along the shoreline, when moments later an enormous wave appears, thundering down right on the helpless pup, leaving him with no time to escape.

Drone operator Donnie Klotz told Hawaii News Now that the dog was on the ledge because he’d followed his owner down. He explained, “The owner jumped off the ledge at China Walls, The dog went down one level and was just you know looking for his owner so when the wave came the owner didn’t even see the dog getting washed off.”

What seemed to be destined for a very sad ending, incredibly turned out well. After the wave subsided, the dog an be seen emerging from the water, disoriented but still afloat. A swimmer, said to be one of the dog’s owners, was fortunately able to retrieve him and carry him safely back to shore.

There are no lifeguards at China Walls, but there are signs warning of the dangers associated with standing too close to the edge of the cliff, though it obviously doesn’t prevent those looking for a thrill from jumping off.

Comments about the dog’s owner, as you might imagine, were not exactly in a positive light. One woman, Lily, noted: “Only a complete idiot would allow their dog to even be here. Thank goodness for happy endings.”

You can watch the incident unfold here: