Firefighters in Minnesota braved 8-foot waves in the frigid waters of Lake Superior last week to save a dog who jumped into a shipping canal and began to drown, officials said Monday.
The rescue unfolded around 6:20 p.m. on Dec. 7 when firefighters responded to a call about a dog who had broken away from his leash and jumped into the water near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge, the Duluth Fire Department said.
The dog’s owner met rescuers on the bridge and pointed out the dog "struggling in 8-foot-plus waves in the middle of the ship canal," fire officials said. Crews entered the water in ice rescue suits to protect them from the "extreme cold water and ice of Lake Superior."
As rescuers fought their way through the waves to reach the dog, they struggled to keep sight of the pet against the waves and limited light. The dog, whose fur was dark, also kept slipping beneath the surface.
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The dog’s owner and fire personnel on the bridge shouted directions to the crew in the water, helping the firefighters grab the dog by its collar, the department said. The crew worked to bring the dog to safety, but officials said they struggled against the heavy waves to keep the dog’s head above water since the pet was large and scared.
As the waves swept the crew and dog under the Duluth bridge toward the bay, Marine-3 arrived in an inflatable rescue boat and pulled the dog and firefighters from the cold waters.
The exhausted dog was treated for exposure and reunited with his owners. The dog’s condition quickly improved, and he was "able to walk on his own and was wagging his tail as he jumped into his owner’s car," fire officials said.
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During the rescue call, firefighters said they had to stop the dog’s owner from jumping in after her beloved pet. Bystanders had helped "convince the owner not to go in after the dog" after she was "threatening to jump in" the dangerously cold waters.
Firefighters warned the public against taking matters into their own hands and putting themselves in danger to rescue a pet.
"We have learned in the fire service that if we do not respond to help in these situations that bystanders and owners likely will take action on their own," the department said. "Without the proper training and equipment this most often results in the firefighters now responding to a call for a person in harm’s way."
Fire officials added: "Given the wave and temperature conditions in the canal last night, anyone entering the water without the proper training and equipment would most likely have ended in tragedy."
