FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A rescue in Fort Lauderdale turned into a story of being in the right place at the right time after a man’s quick thinking helped save a struggling dog from the water.

At Jet Ski FL in Fort Lauderdale, workers are used to helping people safely head out on the water.

“It takes someone special to manage this dock and help protect the waterways,” said Jon Rosen, owner of Jet Ski FL.

But Thursday afternoon, the emergency no one expected came with four legs.

“Me and my boss, Jon -- we were at the boat ramp,” said Travis Howe. “We were launching some jet ski. I got a call from a customer that there was a dog in the water.”

Howe said the dog had been struggling for several minutes and was unable to make it back to shore. Time was running out.

“Jump on the jet ski, run over straight to them, rescue the dog,” Howe said.

Video shows Howe and an exhausted German Shepherd sharing a jet ski after the dog was pulled from the water.

“When I found it, there was a coconut in his mouth,” Howe said. “He was gasping for breath. I pull him up and he was just resting right on me.”

People on shore applauded the rescue.

“People on the side, they were clapping and stuff,” Howe said. “They were thankful for that because no one could get in the water to get it out.”

Rosen said Howe earned a new nickname after the rescue: “Super Trav.”

For Howe, helping animals is simply second nature.

“If I see anything -- if I see a cat, an iguana -- I see it struggling, I’m going to take it out of the water and put it up on land, to be honest with you,” Howe said with a laugh.

With the help of another boat company, the Jet Ski FL team was eventually able to track down the dog’s owner. They believe the dog jumped into the water while chasing after a coconut.

It took some time for the owner to realize the dog was gone, but everyone was happy to be reunited.

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