BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - A dog that found itself in hot – er, cold – water had to be rescued by a firefighter on Wednesday.
Bloomington Fire Chief Ulie Seal said someone called 911 at 9:26 a.m., saying a dog had fallen through the ice and the owner was attempting to walk out onto the ice and rescue it.
Bloomington fire and police responded to the pond on the 8200 block of Penn Avenue South. Seal said when crews arrived, they managed to talk the owner into staying on shore.
"One of our firefighters in a cold water rescue suit scooted out and scooped the dog up," he said.
That firefighter was Robby Smith, who said there was about a quarter-inch of ice on the water between him and the dog about 10 yards out.
"I swam out to the dog not knowing how deep it was kind of cracking the ice in front of me as I went," he said.
Smith said the dog had grown tired from hanging onto the edge of the ice when he got there.
"When I got there he kind of swam to me and jumped up into my arms, so he knew I was there to help," Smith said.
Smith found that it was shallow enough for him to walk, and within a matter of minutes, the dog was safely reunited with its owner.
"Dog’s OK, cold and wet and probably a little tired," Seal said.
As a lifelong dog owner himself, Smith said he empathized with the owner.
"You see the dog owner sitting there and you can tell that they want to go help the dog," he said.
But Smith said it's smart to "sit back" and let the crew with the right training help.
Shortly after the rescue, Bloomington fire tweeted, "Be very careful around the ice on our lakes and ponds. It is very thin and dangerous."