When Hurricane Florence touched down in North and South Carolina, former Marine Ryan Nichols sprang into action and drove all the way from his home state of Texas to help with evacuations.

In the process of helping people to safety, he spotted several abandoned dogs, and in an amazing act of kindness, assisted them to dry land. As Ryan explains, he and his friends not only rescued dogs but also 25 people.

Ellen Degeneres wanted to meet Ryan and invited him onto her show. That’s when she surprised both Ryan and the Humane Society of the United States with a gift.

Here’s that viral video of Marine Ryan Nichols saving several dogs from the Florence floods.