Dog rescued from ice good training, says fire chief

P.E.I.'s North Shore Fire Department rescued a family pet from the ice last week and got an opportunity to put their training into practice.

Last Wednesday the department got a call that someone had fallen through the ice in Covehead Bay. Fire chief Jason Blackman said when they arrived on scene they realized it was a dog.

Two members of the department put on ice rescue suits and were able to get the dog back to shore.

"The ice was hard in spots and soft in others," said Blackman.

Firefighters rescue dog from ice

6 years ago

Duration 2:47

Firefighters rescue dog from ice

The firefighters, going out towards the dog at different angles, were able to walk out on the ice most of the way, but crashed through as they approached. The water wasn't deep and they were able to get to the dog without too much trouble.

"There's always some risk involved, but again they're always in their proper suits and we always have them tethered off with proper spotters and people working their lines from shore," said Blackman.

The rescue took about three minutes from start to finish, Blackman said, and was good training for the firefighters. He said this is the time of year they usually do ice rescue training.

The dog had to stay most of the day at the Atlantic Veterinary College because it was suffering from hypothermia, Blackman said, but it is home now and doing fine.

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