Photo Of Coast Guard Rescuing Man & His Dog From Boat Stranded In Hurricane Helene Goes Viral

A crew from the United States Coast Guard is getting praise and viral recognition nationwide following the rescue of a man and his dog stranded off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Helene landed last Thursday.

In a clip posted to Facebook, the members of Air Station Clearwater approach a disabled sailboat via rescue helicopter off the coast of Sanibel Island in Lee County, Florida. The clip then shows a rescue swimmer descending into the ocean and making their way onto the boat.

First, they help the man and dog into a rescue basket before all are airlifted to safety. The clip ends with the dog sitting on the man’s lap and giving rescuers a high-five.

In conjunction with the video footage, Air Station Clearwater issued a statement.

“Coast Guard crews responded to the boater’s distress call and rushed to the man’s location, approximately 25 miles offshore from Sanibel Island near Fort Myers,” authorities said. “A successful rescue attempt was made, and the unidentified sailor and his dog were saved and brought back to land.”

Hurricane Helene formed over the Atlantic Ocean on September 24 before making landfall across the Big Bend region of Florida on September 27 as a Category Four storm, with initial reports of catastrophic damage and a climbing death toll cementing Helene as the second-deadliest storm to hit the continental United States after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

Power outages remain widespread across several parts of the southeastern United States, including the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.

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