A South African couple was shocked to discover what happened during their two dogs’ harrowing day after watching their backyard security camera. 

When Byron and Melissa Thanarayen found their dogs at home with wet heads, they assumed the canines had simply made a mess at the water bowl. But when they checked their security footage, they got a surprise.

The video showed their senior toy Pomeranian, Chucky, walking along the edge of the backyard pool before he fell into the water. The 13-year-old dog immediately panicked, swimming to different sides of the pool as he tried desperately to escape.

Luckily, Chucky’s yelps for help were heard by the couple’s younger dog, a 7-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Jessie.

Jessie spent over 30 minutes trying to save her big brother before she got a good grip and pulled him to safety. She even used her paw to move Chucky away from the edge of the pool. 

The video then shows Chucky and Jessie happily running off into the sunny yard together after their stressful ordeal.

The Thanarayens are grateful for their heroic girl, knowing that Chucky might not have made it out of the pool alive without Jessie. They say their dogs have been trained to swim but they’re going to buy a pool cover to keep them safer in the future.