Coast Guard rescues man and his dog from a sailboat 25 miles off Florida coast as Hurricane Helene approached

The U.S. Coast Guard came to the rescue of a man and his dog on Thursday after the sailor's boat started taking on water off the coast of Fort Myers, Fla., before Hurricane Helene came ashore.

According to the Coast Guard, the man, who was not identified, launched a distress call from his 36-foot boat approximately 25 miles off Sanibel Island.

"A successful rescue attempt was made, and the unidentified sailor and his dog were saved and brought back to land," the Coast Guard said in a statement to ABC's Good Morning America.

The Coast Guard Air Station in Clearwater, Fla., posted video footage of the rescue on its Facebook page.

Live updates: Helene batters Southeast after Florida landfall, more than 4 million without power

Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida's Gulf Coast this week, making landfall late Thursday as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing 140 mph winds, torrential rain and a record storm surge before moving inland across Georgia and the Carolinas.

Hundreds of rescues were reported in Florida and across the Southeast as floodwaters inundated several coastal communities.

In Crystal River, Fla., more than 100 people and 50 pets were rescued from floodwaters overnight, the local sheriff’s office there said.

The White House said Friday that federal resources had supported 400 rescues.