U.S. Coast Guard Saves Man, Dog in Dramatic Video After Hurricane Damages Boat

Hurricane Helene has devastated the southeastern United States ... and, the U.S. Coast Guard's rescue team is working overtime -- saving both people and pups.

Video is circulating online of a dramatic rescue from Thursday, off the coast of Sanibel Island in Florida... where Helene had disabled a sailboat carrying a man and his dog.

Check out the clip ... members of the Coast Guard are dropped into the water via a rope, swimming over to the disabled ship where man and man's best friend -- both wearing rescue vests -- jump into the water to meet them.

The intrepid pup and his owner swim with the Coast Guard toward a basket. They clamber in, and the USCG pulls them up ... ending what could've been a tragic situation.

According to the Coast Guard's social media, this unnamed man and his dog companion were about 25 miles off Sanibel when their 36-foot sailboat was disabled and began taking on water.

The Coast Guard took them to Southwest Florida International Airport where they met with emergency services, the CG said ... reportedly in good medical condition.

Not so much luck for the ship ... which is still disabled and drifting out in the water.

While this incident took place mere hours before the bulk of the storm hit, Helene caused a ton of chaos in the Southeastern U.S.A. ... killing at least fifty people according to reports, and flooding big cities like Atlanta in the process. The storm's been downgraded from a Category 4 since Friday.