A South Carolina family waded through rushing floodwaters to rescue an 87-year-old man and his little dog.

Tom Hall and his family had been routinely checking on neighbors during the recent flooding when they noticed a car sinking in the water. Praying it was empty, Hall waded out to check and saw George Osterhues waving back at him.

Courage and Compassion Are Flooding in South Carolina, Too

Osterhues and his dog, Tila, had been in the car for two hours already, swept off the highway by flash flooding while en route to Florida. It would take at least another hour to pull them to safety.

Knowing rescue crews might still be hours away, Hall hurried into the rising water. Osterhues was in hypothermic shock from the cold but still refused to leave the dog behind, so Hall began pulling them both the 200 yards to safety.

With 50 yards to go—and the arrival of a paramedic waiting on dry land—Hall could no longer continue, so his wife, Julie, rushed to take over (pictured left).

Osterhues and his dog dried off, got warm, and spent the night at the Hall's house. They next day the Halls helped him pick up a rental car so the Ottawa man and his dog could finish their trip to Florida.

(WATCH the video below from CNN or READ more at the Charlotte Observer) Photo: WSOC video