Forget big fish tales. Three fishermen in a small boat on a Mississippi lake have a bigger tale to tell about how they rescued nearly 40 dogs from drowning.

A group of 38 hound dogs almost drowned in a large Mississippi lake after chasing a deer during a fox hunt, but quick-thinking fishermen saved them just in time.

Bob Gist, fishing on the lake, noticed the exhausted dogs struggling in the water. Realizing the dogs couldn’t survive without immediate help, Gist, his friend Brad Carlisle, and guide Jordan Chrestman sprang into action with their small boat.

The dogs, disoriented and swimming in circles, faced imminent danger.

With the dogs’ frantic owners watching from the shore, the three men began rescuing the animals. The boat couldn’t hold all the dogs at once, so they made three trips to shore. A photo captured during the rescue shows Carlisle on the boat with over a half-dozen dogs on the bow, while Chrestman steered.

The rescue took about 45 minutes to an hour, with the dogs likely in the water for 15 to 20 minutes before being saved.

Click on this link to read more about this story from The Associated Press.