An 81-year-old man and his dog were on their morning walk around the lake when he lost control of his electric wheelchair. Soon, he was nearly drowning, but, ‘man’s best friend’ jumped into action.

Harry Smith lost his traction in the mulch, causing him to slip down the bank and then flip into the water in Port St. Lucie. Mr. Smith was unable to swim, and needed assistance in order to keep afloat. Knowing his owner was in trouble, Sarah Jane began barking like crazy, which alerted 2 bystanders across the street.

Edward Suhling rushed to the lake with his friend Jacob and flagged down an officer from the local police. When Officer Doty arrived, he saw Smith submerged up to his neck in the water.

The 2 bystanders and Officer Doty worked together to pull him out of the water and up the bank. Fortunately, he was healthy enough to return home. His electric wheelchair was damaged from tumbling into the water, so the first responders pushed him back to his house, with Sarah Jane wagging her tail all the way back.

“The saying remains true…A man’s best friend is his dog,” the Port St. Lucie Police Department wrote on their Facebook page.

“I gave her a treat,” grinned Smith. “I love her so much.”

Watch the local news coverage from WPTV-TV below: