Credits: Social Media
Heroic dog helps police officer rescue her owner stranded in frozen Michigan lake
A 65-year-old man fallen through the frozen Michigan lake was rescued by a police officer with creative thinking – he enlisted the help of the victim’s pet dog to save its owner.
The story has moved people, with thousands praising the heroic pet dog’s determination to save her owner. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment once he was able to get out of the freezing water.
Michigan man falls through the frozen lake
The press release by the Michigan Police Department states that the officer involved in the rescue mission received a call around 11.45 A.M. on Thursday, January 18, 2024, about a Traverse County man stranded in the Arbutus Lake in East Bay Township.
The body cam footage posted on the department’s official X/Twitter handle captures the entire rescue, which wouldn’t have been possible without Ruby, the victim’s pet dog.
Ruby was standing by her owner’s side when help arrived. Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts quickly takes the situation under his control and tries to get the man out of the lake by throwing a rescue disc attached to a rope in his direction.
That attempt failed, which is when he enlisted the pooch’s help.
Pet dog helps police rescue her owner
When Officer Bennetts realized his attempt to get the rescue disc to the other end wasn’t successful, he asked the man in the ice water if his dog would respond to his call.
He calls Ruby after learning her name from her owner. She responds and comes running towards the office, wagging her tail.
The police officer then puts his creativity to the test. He attaches the rescue disc to Ruby’s collar and asks her owner to call her back to him.
The pooch obeys the call and heroically runs to her owner through the frozen lake and lets him grab the rescue disc. The officer is heard telling the man to kick his feet until they reach the surface as he pulls the rope toward the safer part of the lake.
The 65-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and released shortly.
The press release reads at the end: “The quick actions of MCO Bennetts along with the help from Ruby, they were able to perform a successful ice rescue. The man was in the water for approximately 16 minutes.”
