PORTSMOUTH — A man who jumped into the waters off McCorrie Beach in search of his dog Wednesday afternoon was later rescued by a neighbor.

Shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Portsmouth Fire Department received a 911 call reporting a swimmer in distress off McCorrie Beach, according to Deputy Fire Chief Michael O'Brien.

Crews responded four minutes later with an ambulance and rescue boat, and arrived to witness a paddle-boarder towing a swimmer back to shore, Deputy O'Brien said.

Rescuers stood down when it was confirmed there were no other swimmers in distress.

According to Deputy O'Brien, a man was walking dogs on the beach when one of the pets got off the leash and entered the water.  As the dog swam deeper and showed no signs of turning back to shore, the man entered the water in pursuit, he said.

The swimmer was able to get the dog back to shore and became fatigued. 

Michael Kearney, of Annette Drive, was observing the events from his nearby home, the deputy chief said. When he saw the swimmer in distress, he jumped into action. 

Mr. Kearney raced to the shore and entered the water on a paddle board and was able to reach the swimmer before he went under, towing him back to shore, Deputy O'Brien said.

The dog also returned to the shore safely.

The swimmer was evaluated by medical crews and found to be uninjured.