After his boat capsized, Mason Ringer did his best to swim back to shore. But he was up against wind gusts, hypothermia, and a strong current. Giving up, he said a prayer and God sent a special angel just in time in this real news story about a river rescue miracle!
Mason Ringer of South Carolina was part of a crew hired to refurbish a decrepit dock. On their lunch break, he and two other co-workers decided to take a boat out on the Okatie River, where they were working. It was a rather windy day, and when one man tried standing up in the boat, the whole thing capsized.
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Mason and his friends plunged into the frigid 58-degree waters, beginning each man's fight for life. Between the chilly water, strong current and forceful winds, making it back to shore alive would take a miracle. But this real news story just goes to show God is still very much at work!
One man managed to swim across the river and walk to a nearby road. There, a Good Samaritan picked him up and got him help.
The other man fought hard against the current but eventually wound up stuck in the marsh near a nature trail. A woman thought she heard screams and reported it to the community's security office. Jason DuBose was sent to investigate and couldn't believe his eyes.
"We found a guy stuck up to his waist in pluff mud," Jason said. "He had hypothermia. He was out of it, stuttering, disoriented ... speaking gibberish."
Tim Helm, a Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, was on the boat assisting Jason in the rescue. He helped pull the man from the marsh and feels finding him was a case of divine timing.
"I wrapped him in my coat and bear-hugged him," Tim recalled. "I told him, 'Man, this is a God-thing, dude — you would have been dead in 30 minutes.'"
Meanwhile, God was intervening in a special way for Mason!
Mason swam as hard as he could, trying to get back to the dock. He fought against the strong current and gusts of wind up to 30 m.p.h. He even stripped off his sweatshirt and shoes that were weighing him down. But the cold water caused his muscles to seize and cramp. After an hour of battling the icy water, Mason was completely spent.
"I rolled over on my back and I closed my eyes and said a prayer to God asking him to help me somehow," Mason recalls.
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And God answered in a very unexpected way!
Soon after finishing his prayer, Mason heard a bark. Next, he saw Woody, a yellow Labrador, swimming his way.
"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," Mason says.
Mason held on to Woody's tail as the dog paddled back toward the dock. But he wound up losing his grip on the pup's tail. But Woody wasn't giving up!
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He paddled back to Mason, waiting for him to grab his collar. Then, the heroic dog took him back to the shore.
"It was almost effortless for him to pull me in," Mason explained.
By then, Jason DuBose had made his way to the area to see if anyone else needed rescue. But Woody had already saved the day!
"That dog was sticking to him like glue," Jason said, recalling what he saw when he first arrived at the dock.
Woody was able to get to Mason before any other rescue crews arrived. And there's no telling what would have happened to Mason had the brave dog not been there. That alone was another miracle.
Woody's family lives Savannah. But his humans happened to be visiting family land in the Okatie area. The 7-year-old yellow Labrador was out getting some exercise, and that's when he came to Mason's rescue. Thanks to this furry guardian angel, Mason made it home to his family that night.
"I went home and kissed my babies," he said. "I was definitely overwhelmed with joy."
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All three men survived the ordeal, something first responders say is miraculous. And Mason promised to treat his furry hero to a "big ol' steak." But Woody just seems satisfied to know his new pal is safe and sound.
"He was staying close to me for a little while," Mason says about seeing Woody the next day.
God can use anyone and anything to do His work. And this real news story about a river rescue just goes to show miracles still exist today!
h/t: Inside Edition
Featured Image Credit: nikko macaspac on Unsplash