Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe ANIMAL STORY A 2-year-old dog dubbed "The Miracle Mutt" is on its way to Hawaii after fishermen rescued it from an abandoned oil tanker drifting in the Pacific. Advertisement The Hawaiian Humane Society said crewmen from a long-line fishing boat boarded the fire-damaged Indonesian tanker Insiko 1907 near Johnson Atoll and coaxed the dog, named Forgea, off the tanker. The pooch had been left behind after the tanker's 11 human crewmembers were taken off by a passing cruise ship on April 2. "They have found the dog on board and this is our latest report: The dog is well. It is walking and running around," Pamela Burns of the Hawaiian Humane Society told reporters in Honolulu. The fishing boat was expected to reach Hawaii in about a week, and the Humane Society will attempt to reunite Forgea with the Insiko's skipper in Taiwan. Forgea had nearly been given up for lost until a Coast Guard plane Saturday spotted the terrier-mix on the ship's bridge during an environmental patrol. The crew collected pizza and oranges from their lunchboxes and dropped them to the deck while Honolulu television stations began leading their newscasts with the good news about "The Miracle Mutt." Advertisement The Humane Society's search for the Insiko and its castaway mascot captured media attention around the world. More than $40,000 in donations poured in after reports that the group would have to pay $50,000 to charter a tugboat in early April to try to retrieve Forgea. The initial rescue mission failed to locate the 265-foot refueling tanker, which had drifted away by the time the tug arrived at its last known position. In Flying Dutchman fashion, the tanker was spotted April 9 by a Japanese fishing boat, but again disappeared before rescuers could reach the scene. The Coast Guard had flown out to look for signs of the Insiko due to concerns that the ship had gone aground or sunk, and its 200 tons of diesel fuel could pollute the wildlife habitat around Johnson Atoll. The C-130 was just 30 minutes from heading back to Hawaii when the Insiko was spotted. A closer look revealed Forgea running back and forth on the bridge. (Thanks to UPI's Hil Anderson in Los Angeles) YOU LIGHT UP MY SKY The Lyrids meteor showers were first recorded by Chinese astronomers 2,600 years ago, and this week they're lighting up the skies again. The meteors will be visible until Thursday and the best viewing should take place in the hours just before dawn, according to Roger Sinnott of Sky & Telescope magazine. Those in the United States can look to the Northeast and expect to see between 10 and 15 meteors an hour. Advertisement Chinese records say "stars fell like rain" in the shower of 687 B.C. However, in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak. They have a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day, and even then only 10 to 20 Lyrids per hour may appear. But there have been some remarkable exceptions. In 1982, the rate unexpectedly reached 90 for a single hour, and 180 to 300 for a few minutes. A brief outburst of 100 per hour was also seen in 1922. "This unpredictability always makes the Lyrids a shower to watch, since we cannot say when the next unusual return may occur," notes Alistair McBeath and Rainer Arlt of the International Meteor Organization. (Thanks to Alex Cukan, UPI Science News) REASONS TO CELEBRATE TODAY: TUESDAY: Today through April 30 is Education Advocacy Week. (Web site: edadvocate.com) This is St. George Feast Day. He's the guy from the "St. George and the dragon" legend. Today is Canada Book Day in Canada. It's Book Day and Lover's Day in Spain. Turkey celebrates National Sovereignty and Children's Day today. And the United Nations observes World Book and Copyright Day. (Thanks to Chase's 2002 Calendar of Events) BY THE WAY... Advertisement Name the only U.S. president who never married. James Buchanan, 15th president of the United States (1857-1861), who was born on this date in 1791.
