What was at first thought a sea turtle, was actually a small, terrified dog treading water off Okaloosa County, Florida.

Luckily when Marine Unit Sgt. Brian Parkton decided to check out the animal on Friday, he was able to rescue the dog that was looking for its owners, the Miami Herald reported.

The entire episode was caught on video and uploaded to YouTube.

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The dog was swimming near the Marler Bridge in Destin, Florida, the Panama City News Herald reported.

Parkton pulled the dog on board his boat, and the dog took his command position at the back of the craft, standing on its hind legs, searching for his missing family, the Miami Herald reported.

Parkton eventually found the dog's owners who scooped up their wet, but happy pooch, the Panama City News Herald reported.