ALMA, Wis. (AP) — A Minnesota man and his two dogs survived a harrowing trip over a dam on the swollen Mississippi River.

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department says 49-year-old John Amundson, of Winona, took his dogs boating above the lock and dam at Alma when his motor quit Saturday afternoon.

WEAU-TV reports (http://bit.ly/LRNs53) he tried to paddle clear but the current was too strong and it pulled him into the dam. He put on a life jacket and grabbed a seat cushion as he went over. His boat capsized but he floated to the surface and climbed the al to safety. He rescued his dogs with the help of lock workers and a game warden.

Deputies say boaters should be careful with the fast current and high waters on the Mississippi