It was the most incredible water rescue, even if it was orchestrated.

Three people deliberately fell from a small boat at Beltzville Lake and actually went beneath it. Gracie, who was on the boat, instinctively jumped into the water and saved all of them, gently pulling them to safety.

Gracie is a 6-year-old, 95-pound Newfoundland dog belonging to Jim and Sue Lonergan of Doylestown. She’s one of about 30 Newfies who were tested on water rescue abilities during an annual event conducted by the New-Pen-Del Newfoundland Club Saturday and Sunday at Beltzville Lake.

Gracie was the only dog to pass the most complex test; which consisted of rescuing multiple “victims” at once.

This is the 45th year that the New-Pen-Del (New Jersey-Pennsylvania-Delaware) club has been hosting such an annual event, said Ana Peraza of Middletown, New Jersey, vice president of the club and chairman for the testing. Not all of them have been held at Beltzville.

Peraza was present with her dog, Abby. Her sister, Amy Kroeger, also of Middletown, was accompanied by her dog, Winnie. Both dogs qualified as water rescue dogs.

Also tested for water rescue abilities were three Labrador retrievers.

The titles of certification are water dog, water rescue dog and water rescue excellence. The latter was the designation earned only by Gracie.

“Most dogs don’t pass” the water rescue excellence phase, said Sue Lonergan.

She said they own two Newfies. The other, Maggie May, wasn’t as successful as Gracie.

She said Jim has had Newfies in his family for 58 years - since the age of 2. Though big as a bear cub, Newfies are gentle giants and great with children. Males can average about 150 pounds and females generally weigh about 110 pounds.

Despite growing up with the dogs, Jim and Sue only started water training them 12 years ago.

“The dogs love the water rescue thing,” Sue said. “It’s good for them.”

She said that Newfies were originally bred in Newfoundland by fishermen to pull in the heavy nets. The fishermen found they were great for rescues, too. There were instances where individuals fell off the boats and were rescued by dogs without anyone even noticing.

In one state park in Maine, a Newfoundland actually served as a beach lifeguard, said Kroeger.

Regular testing for the dogs includes:

• Having the owner go through a specific set of commands on land with the dog.

• Swimming next to their owner without jumping on them.

• Retrieving a life jacket or buoy tossed into the water that is over 30 feet from the shore.

• Having the dog take a rope from the shore to a swimmer in distress, and guiding the swimmer to shore.

• Having the dog swim to a boat that is stranded and towing it to the shore.

Although it’s the New-Pen-Del Club, there were members attending the testing from several other states including New York, Maryland and Virginia.

Peraza said she has heard funny stories regarding how Newfoundlands can be overly protective. She told of a family that had a pool and each time they went swimming, their dog jumped into the water and tried to rescue them.

She said she enjoys owning a Newfoundland. They do what they are bred to do but “are also happy to just sit and watch TV.” She has owned the breed for more than 20 years.

Training the dogs requires dedication and time. She said most trainers work with their dogs every weekend, which means finding a water source to go through the drills. Many recreational areas don’t allow dogs, so often the training means utilizing a private pond.

“Sometimes people drive three hours on weekends where a pond is available to train,” she said.

The testing at Beltzville was done from a shore off a dirt road generally not accessible to the public. It didn’t impact people enjoying the mild September weather who were playing on the beach about 100 yards away or the fishermen passing by in their boats.