Police say a dog was rescued from the frigid waters of the Great South Bay in West Sayville early Saturday morning.

It happened near West Avenue. Police say a good Samaritan, Ary McCarthy, saw the dog in distress while clinging to debris in the water.

McCarthy and another good Samaritan, Beth Higbie, jumped in to rescue the hound mix, named Wilbur.

"It was shaking, it was so cold and it just couldn’t get itself up and it kept barking and barking," says Higbie.

Higbie found a rope and with the help of others, pulled Wilbur out of the water. Suffolk Police officers Ryan McAdam and David Verelli got to the scene and helped keep the dog warm by wrapping him in blankets and coats issued to them by the department.

"He had a frightened look in his eye and I think he was starting to get a sense of relief that he was out of a situation," says Verelli.

Officers say that if it weren't for the quick action of the entire group, Wilbur could have been seriously hurt or even killed.

"In this day and age, it seems like dogs are one of the few things that everyone can agree on, and it was really nice,” says McAdam.

Police say Wilbur had wandered out of his yard on Atlantic Avenue. He was reunited with his owners at an animal hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.