The marine mammals carefully guided Karyn and Ramsay towards the shore

Mar 6, 2013 12:17 GMT  ·  By

A woman living in South Australia now says she owes both her and her dog's life to a pod of dolphins who rescued them from drowning in the waters off the Carrickalinga Beach in South Australia.

As Karyn Gitsham explains, her pet cocker spaniel is quite fond of chasing seagulls and does not shy away from following them into the water.

However, it once happened that the currents proved too strong for the dog to be able to return to shore on its own.

While trying to keep a close eye on her pet, Karyn accidentally slipped and also fell into the water.

Luckily for them, a pod of dolphins swimming nearby decided to lend them a helping hand, and carefully guided both Karyn and Ramsey back to safety.

“I remember going under and coming back up I saw a fin, and then I saw him, and thought ‘oh great, it’s a shark’. These dolphins just formed this horseshoe and were guiding him [Ramsey] in, pushing him in,” the woman told members of the press.