The Taylors didn’t give up. They posted flyers. They offered a reward. They walked miles along the shore, calling his name over and over again. By the second day, the hope had started to fade.
Then, on the third morning, something remarkable happened.
A boy on a paddleboard—13-year-old Lucas Redding—was gliding near the rocky cove on the north end of the beach. He went there often to watch sea birds and pretend he was an explorer. As he approached the rocks, he spotted movement in the water. At first, he thought it was a school of fish. Then he saw a fin. Then another. And then… a flash of golden fur.
He screamed for help, paddling frantically back to shore. “It’s the dog! It’s Max! And he’s not alone!”
Crowds gathered. Binoculars were raised. Phones started filming. Out in the waves, Max was swimming slowly but surely toward land—flanked by three dolphins. They moved like guardians, one at each side and one behind, creating a loose triangle around him. They didn’t push him or carry him, but they stayed close, nudging him gently if he strayed or slowed down.