Fishermen Save 38 Dogs From Drowning In Mississippi's Grenada Lake

June 21, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Grenada, Mississippi.

Helena native Bob Gist, a State Farm insurance agent in Jonesboro, became an unexpected hero while crappie fishing on Lake Grenada in Mississippi. What started as a peaceful fishing trip turned into a dramatic rescue mission that saved the lives of 38 distressed dogs.

dog rescue grenada MS
Tri-Lake Guide Service LLC

Bob, accompanied by a friend and their fishing guide, set out on Lake Grenada, which spans over a mile and a half wide in some areas. As they were navigating the lake, they spotted a large number of dogs swimming far from the shore.

"These dogs were so far out the three men figured they needed to check on them," the social media post said. "Reaching the dogs they realized there were dogs everywhere. They could tell the dogs were in distress. Where the heck did all these dogs come from and how did they end up in the middle of the lake?"

Upon reaching the dogs, they discovered the animals were part of a Fox Run event at the lake. Each dog had large numbers painted on its side and wore expensive E-collars. The dogs had chased a deer into the lake and ended up lost and disoriented, unable to find the shore.

dog rescue lake grenada MS
Tri-Lake Guide Service LLC

Bob and his crew sprang into action, pulling as many dogs as they could into their boat and transporting them to shore, where their anxious owners awaited. They made several trips back and forth, rescuing as many dogs as they could find.

Just as they thought their mission was complete, an owner with a GPS tracker informed them that four more dogs were still in the water. Bob and his team, accompanied by the owner, set out once more. They found the four dogs, who were nearly too exhausted to stay afloat, and managed to save them just in time.

"Bob told me they grabbed the last four dogs as they were sinking under water," the post stated.

In total, Bob, his friend, and the fishing guide rescued 38 dogs, all of whom had been treading water for nearly an hour.