***Learn about swimming safety in the video above.***

(WJW) – A small group of fishermen are being hailed heroes after making an unexpected catch that day — more than three dozen hunting dogs treading water in a Mississippi lake.

It all started when Bob Gist, a 61-year-old State Farm agent from Arkansas, went on a fishing trip to Lake Grenada with his friend Brad Carlisle, a State Farm agent from Tennessee, as reported by Fox News.

Gist told Fox News they were out on the lake with a fishing guide, Jordan Chrestman, when they suddenly heard dogs barking.

“Pretty soon we saw some dogs on the horizon in the water,” Gist told the news outlet.

The friends noticed the group of dogs, which were part of an annual fox run, were trying to catch a deer in the water, according to reports.

The group went on fishing for another 10 to 15 minutes when the guide said he wanted to check back on the dogs.

“We’re just flabbergasted because it’s dogs everywhere,” Gist told Fox News. “They’re all going in different directions because they can no longer see the bank on either side.”

The fishermen then sprung into action, bringing as many hunting dogs as they could onto their bass fishing boat.

Reports say the rescuers returned about 25 to 27 dogs to shore when their owners came running over, pleading for help.

With help from a man on shore with a GPS tracker, they were able to rescue the remaining dogs that, according to Gist, “were on the verge of drowning,” Fox News reported.

Gist posted photos from the rescue on his professional Facebook page, with the caption reading, “Like a Good Neighbor Bob Gist was there!”

The fishermen have received plenty of praise since the rescue, with one commenter saying, “All of you guys are true HEROES! Love this story!’

“Our family have dogs of our own and I know how much this means to those owners! Thank you!” another said.

Gist said he’s grateful they were in the right place at the right time, but he’s giving the most credit to their fishing guide.

“Jordan realized there might be a problem and said we needed to go check. He was so correct,” Gist said on Facebook. “We all pulled dogs from the water and Jordan managed (the) recovery like he had done it before. He is the hero here for sure.”

He told Fox News that the dog owners tried to pay Chrestman for rescuing the pups, but the fishing guide refused to take the money.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The two men who were found guilty in an August 2023 trial for their roles in a drug trafficking scheme including two murders were sentenced this week in federal court.

Shawn “Deuce” Burkhalter, 35, of Kansas City, Missouri was sentenced to life in federal prison without parole by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on June 21. His co-defendant, Joshua “T” Nesbitt, 30, of Crowder, Mississippi was sentenced the day prior, also to life in federal prison without parole.

The government filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty for both defendants in 2019. The trial began on August 7, 2023.

On August 28, 2023, Burkhalter and Nesbitt were both convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of robbery, two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and a drug-trafficking crime, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of being felons in possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to commit witness and evidence tampering, one count of murdering a potential witness and one count of evidence tampering. Burkhalter was convicted of one additional count of witness tampering.

From 2008 to 2018, Burkhalter and Nesbitt engaged in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Six additional co-defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.

Trial evidence shows that Burkhalter and Nesbitt stole cocaine from Danny Lamont Dean on September 10, 2015, shooting and killing him with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in the process.

Less than a month later, on October 4, Nesbitt and others stole marijuana from Anthony Dwayne Johnson. During the robbery, Nesbitt shot and killed Johnson with the same AR-15 rifle. Trial evidence shows that the crime was at the direction of Burkhalter who was detained in custody at the time of the murder. Trial evidence also shows that Johnson was killed because Burkhalter suspected him of providing information to investigations regarding Burkhalter’s involvement in Dean’s murder.

Burkhalter and Nesbitt robbed a Kansas City, Mo. business in September of 2015, brandishing the same AR-15 rifle.

The government provided evidence at the June 20 sentencing hearing that Nesbitt assaulted detention facility staff on more than one occasion while awaiting trial.

Co-defendants Shakira Hooker and Autry Hines, both of Kansas City, Joslyn Lee and Nickayla Jones, both of Blue Springs, Rachel Ryce of Raytown and Anthony Peltier of Lawrence have pleaded guilty and had previously been sentenced.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State has picked up nine commits since last week and could land more. The Bulldogs hosted several official visitors last week but mainly focused on out-of-state prospects.

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby has said that he will focus on recruiting the best players in Mississippi. This weekend, he could have several of the top players. Can MSU continue its recruiting momentum?

4-star defensive lineman Kevin Oatis Jr. will be on campus this weekend. The Hattiesburg, Miss. native is a top priority for the MSU coaching staff, and he is a must-get after the Bulldogs failed to get some of the top defensive linemen in the Magnolia state last year.

State landed Terrance Hibbler but missed on several other top guys. The 6-2 285-pounder has an explosive first step and plays with good pad level.

Oatis visited Arkansas earlier this month and was set to visit USC last week but decided to cancel that visit. State will try to land Oatis this weekend, and if he makes the call, he will be the second 4-star defensive lineman in the 2025 class (Tyshun Willis.)

Coaches will tell you the most essential part of building a recruiting class is getting a quarterback in the boat early. Last season, Lebby added Michael Van Buren late in the process, but he has his guy early this year.

Taylor committed to the Bulldogs under Zach Arnett and has never wavered. This is high praise for a prospect who has not played his senior season of high school football, but the 4-star from Macon, Miss., is arguably the most physically gifted quarterback State has had in a recruiting class.

He is listed at 6-4 205 pounds and recently showed off his skills at the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp. Taylor is a special player and could be a 5-star by signing day.

Either way, the Noxubee County product will likely be the highest-rated quarterback recruit in MSU history, and that is an excellent statement for Lebby in his first class.

Another 4-star will be on campus this weekend, and it is at a position that Lebby heavily emphasizes. The De Kalb, Miss. native has been busy this month, making official visits to LSU and Ole Miss.

Nash is listed at 6-4 280 pounds, and he camped at MSU last year before he became so heavily recruited. He was impressive with his footwork and good strength despite this frame.

However, Nash seems to have put on more weight, which has paid off, as he now looks like an SEC offensive lineman. MSU will likely push for a commitment like most other in-state recruits, but Mississippi State offensive line coach Cody Kennedy has proven to be an excellent recruiter during his short time in Starkville.

State has arguably its best recruiter on one of their top prospects.

It was a bit of a surprise when Lockhart committed to Auburn on May 6th due to the strong relationships MSU had built at Winona High School. The Bulldogs even signed his older brother, TJ Lockhart, an offensive lineman, in their 2024 class.

However, it still was not enough to land the younger brother. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze spent five seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss, and he understands the rich talent that comes out of the Magnolia State.

The recruitment for Lockhart is far from over, and MSU coaches will stay on the 6-3 200-pound linebackers all the way to signing day. He made 100 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks last season.

This is a massive prospect for State, and flipping him from a fellow SEC school would be a loud statement.

Like Lockhart, MSU has strong ties with Holmes County Central High School, where Thomas is from. However, the four-star cornerback has not committed elsewhere and will be on campus this weekend.

The Bulldogs have already added many defensive back prospects after picking up four commitments last weekend. However, all of them were from out of state.  

The 6-0.5 180-pound cornerback could be the next and perhaps the last secondary commitment.