(NewsNation) — The U.S. Coast Guard saved a Florida boater and his dog from dangerous waters near Sanibel Island as Hurricane Helene approached Thursday.
The storm, which made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4, threatened the Gulf Coast with up to 20-foot storm surges that forecasters warned as potentially “unsurvivable.”
The Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater posted a video of the rescue to Facebook. The video shows a man in an orange life jacket helping his dog in a bright yellow vest climb over their boat as a Coast Guard crew member approaches them in the water.
The Coast Guard crew hoisted the pair up into their helicopter.
The man’s 36-foot sailboat became disabled and started taking on water about 25 miles off Sanibel Island, which is near Fort Myers, according to the Coast Guard. “Always ready for the call,” the caption reads.
A picture was also shared, depicting the strong tides splashing against the man as he holds his dog near his chest with a Coast Guard helicopter above.
Helene was still barreling inland and weakened to a tropical storm early Friday morning. The threats of heavy rain and damaging winds persist. Officials warn against going near coastal or flood waters.