VENTURA (KRON) — A rescue, from a rescue.  Nico, a 3-year-old Burnese Mountain dog heard distressed cries from out in the water.

Instinctively, he swam out to the two swimmers who were caught in a nasty rip-tide, pulling them farther and farther into the ocean.

The swimmers grabbed hold of Nico’s neck, and let him pull them to safety.  Nico’s owner was surprised Nico had such good swimming skills.

The hero dog, who is a rescue from a local shelter, had never been put the the test by the ocean–but two swimmers are very grateful he arose to the challenge.