The man had already been in
the water for nearly an hour.
A South Carolina man has a dog to thank for saving his life.
Mason
Ringer said he was on a lunch break with his friends when the group
decided to briefly go out in a boat on the Okatie River, but things
took dangerous a turn when their boat capsized.
"One of the guys
went to stand up to change his position in the boat, and the wind came
and the boat flipped over and put all of us in the water," Ringer told
InsideEdition.com.
Ringer said he tried to get to the dock, but couldn't since he was swimming against the current.
"I
took my shoes off and ripped my hoodie,” Ringer said. “I got 75 percent
across, but because the water was cold I started to cramp up in my
legs."
The 24-year-old said he started to feel like he wasn’t going to make it, and so he stopped swimming.
"I
rolled over on my back and I closed my eyes and said a prayer to God
asking him to help me somehow," Ringer said. "Then I heard the dog bark
on the dock."
The yellow Labrador jumped into the water and
Ringer was able to grab the animal’s collar as the pup pulled him to
shore. Ringer had already been in the water for an hour.
"When
I saw the dog was coming in, I was skeptical thinking I am going to
drown this dog while he was trying to save me," Ringer said. "It was
almost effortless for him to pull me in."
The heroic dog
belonged to the owner of the property where Ringer had been working.
Ringer said he couldn’t be more grateful for the animal’s help.
"I
went home and kissed my babies," he said. "I was definitely overwhelmed
with joy. I saw the dog the next day. He recognized me. He was staying
close to me for a little while."
