Golden Retriever Rescued From Frozen Maine Lake
The dog was stuck in the lake for almost 30 minutes
— -- A golden retriever in Maine had a cold and early start to his Wednesday morning after falling through the ice on a lake and getting stuck.
Fire officials in Waterboro, Maine, received a 911 call around 7:50 a.m., reporting a dog stuck nearly 100 feet offshore of Little Ossipee Lake, right in front of his owner’s house.
The dog, a five-year-old named Dakota, had been running outside after going for a morning walk with his owner, Linda Park.
"I couldn't believe it, I was worried about how in the world am I going to get him out of there," Park old local ABC affiliate WMTW of her reaction when her neighbor knocked on her door with the news.
Waterboro Fire Capt. Tom Langevin, a 20-year firefighter/EMS veteran, led the rescue. He strapped on an ice rescue suit and walked, attached to a rope, on the ice to bring Dakota to safety.
“He was able to go out on the ice and then broke through just when he got to the dog,” Waterboro Fire Chief Matt Bors told ABC News. “He helped the dog get up on the ice.”
Dakota arrived back onshore with no injuries, according to Bors.
“The dog got out, shook off and went home and spent about an hour in front of the wood stove heater,” he said. “And apparently consumed a bowl of ice cream after as a treat.”
According to Bors, the area of the lake where Dakota was found is a cove that had completely frozen over, while the rest of the lake had not.
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