Missing Kiteboarding Canine Back Home

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- After being stolen on Sunday, Zeus the Jack Russell terrier is back in the arms of his St. Petersburg family.

The dog that achieved fame for his kiteboarding skills was returned to his 16-year-old owner, Cameron Maramenides, a member of Team USA's 2020 Olympic kiteboarding team, Thursday night.

The dog was stolen Sunday during a kiteboarding competition at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge beach. The Maramenides family offered a $3,500 reward for Zeus' safe return and hired Fort Lauderdale pet detective Jamie Katz to find him.

Katz and the Maramenides family, however, give all the credit for Zeus' safe return to Tampa resident Miguel Comacho.

"All this crazy adventure started at 4:55 p.m. this afternoon on our way back from putting signs all over," said Cameron's father, world-famous kiteboard competitor Dimitri Maramenides. "We got a text message saying, 'Is this your dog?'"

Comacho was sitting in his car in a Tampa park studying for an exam when he looked over and saw two men with a dog. The dog looked vaguely familiar and he suddenly remembered seeing a video posted on the news about a missing dog that looked similar.

Comacho discreetly took some photos and texted them to the phone number posted on the "Lost" flier. Dimitri Maramenides immediately called him back to confirm that he, indeed, had spotted Zeus.

In the meantime, the men who took Zeus put the dog back into their car and took off. Comacho called 911 for help but was told the police wouldn't be able to respond right away because it wasn't an emergency. With no other choice, Comacho began following the car.

"But after 15 minutes of driving, the guys that had Zeus realized they were being followed," said Maramenides.

The driver pulled over and one of the men got out and approached Comacho's car. Comacho explained that he was following them because they had someone else's dog and he was on the phone with the owner. Comacho then handed his phone to the man so Maramenides could speak to him.

"I told him the police were coming and, if he didn't give my dog back to Miguel, he would end up in jail," Maramenides said. "I told Miguel to call the dog by his name and, sure enough, once Zeus heard his name, he jumped out of the guy's car and jumped into Miguel's car."

The Maramenides family still doesn't know who took Zeus or why he was taken. They're just glad to have him home.

"I would like to thank our hero MIguel Comacho for putting himself in danger in trying to get Zeus from the person who took him from us on Sunday," said Maramenides.

See related story:

Famous Kiteboarding Canine Missing; $3,500 Reward Offered

Image via Maramenides family

From left, Dimitri Maramenides, his wife, Helen Trotman, and Miguel Comacho pose with Zeus.

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)