This rescuer saved a raccoon in heroic fashion on Independence Day

A raccoon was pulled to safety on July 4 after a nearby boat spotted the animal frantically swimming in a creek.

The rescuer said he heard a "yelping sound" that at first sounded like birds overhead but after several hours he discovered the raccoon swimming for its life. A life preserver was attached to a rope and dropped down to the critter, which it immediately grabbed. It was then pulled to shore.