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."
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