PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A man visiting family in Bucks County got a gift on Christmas Day that doesn't go under the tree, when a team of volunteer firefighters rescued his dog from drowning in icy water.
On Sunday, Dan Daccardi told NBC10, he was out walking his 6-year-old black lab, Jack, near the Old Brickyard Pond in Richland Township, when the dog spotted some ducks and took off running. Unfortunately, Jack ran out across the frozen surface of the pond and,about 100 feet from the shore, the ice broke and he fell through.
Daccardi said Jack treaded water for about a half-hour, keeping his head above the surface until volunteers from the Quakertown Fire Department could come to his rescue and rush him to a veterinarian to get checked out.
Volunteer Firefighter Dylan Winters told NBC10, when they pulled Jack into the boat, he sensed he was safe and just lay down on his lap.
The rescuers said they had trained for just this sort of situation, and it was their first time to use their dry suits and boat for an ice rescue.
