Firefighters Rescue Drowning Pup from Frigid Lake Superior
On Thursday, December 7, firefighters from Duluth, Minnesota's fire department were dispatched to save a dog who had escaped off his leash and jumped into the water near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge.
Lake Superior is not only the deepest of the Great Lakes, it is also the coldest. The Duluth FireDepartment shared this amazing rescue to Facebook.
The Facebook post explains that rescue 1 crew members met with the owners of the dog who pointed out where the dog was. The dog was struggling in 8-foot plus waves in the middle of the ship canal. Crew members entered the water in ice rescue suits that are designed to work in the extreme cold water and ice of Lake Superior. Rescue 1 crew members fought their way through the waves to find the dog but were struggling to see him due to the large waves and limited light. The dog was also dark in color and kept slipping below the surface making him difficult to find.
Kare 11 reports that rescuers were finally able to reach the dog and grab him by his collar, but they were being swept towards the bay by lake currents.
Then thankfully the department's inflatable boat arrived on scene and the crew was able to pull rescue team members and the exhausted dog from the water.
Related: Woman's Boyfriend Goes the Extra Mile to Save Drowning Dog on Thanksgiving
Why it would have been dangerous for the owners to attempt this
Most dog owners probably would have wanted to jump in and try to save their dog from drowning, but it's incredibly dangerous for average people to do so. Not only do these amazing heroes wear special ice rescue suits designed to work in the frigid waters of Lake Superior, they are also specially trained on how to perform these rescue missions. The Fire Department explains on Facebook that had the owner jumped in, the dog would have likely perished because now all of the rescue workers would have been focused on saving the owner. This sort of daring feat of bravery is best left up to professionals.
The Facebook post went onto explain the very happy ending to this story by adding, "The owners and dog were transported to their vehicle by Duluth Fire and the dog was showing marked signs of improvement. He had stopped shivering, was able to walk on his own and was waging his tail as he jumped into his owner’s car."
What an absolutely incredible rescue and we are so thankful to these brave firefighters and so happy the dog is safe with their owners again!
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