Dog helps troopers with owner's rescue after man falls through ice at Arbutus Lake in Northern Michigan [VIDEO]
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY (WWJ) - A dog in Northern Michigan is being hailed a hero after she assisted a Michigan State Police trooper in rescuing her owner after he fell through ice on Thursday.
MSP said Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts was the first to arrive at the scene in East Bay Township, just south of Traverse City, after bystanders witnesses a man disappear on a frozen Arbutus Lake around 11:45 a.m.
When the trooper arrived, he grabbed a rescue disc from his vehicle and ventured out onto the ice where he saw the victim, identified as a 65-year-old Traverse City man, had fallen through.
Standing next to the man -- still on the ice -- was his dog, Ruby.
Troopers said Bennetts was forced to stop advancing as the integrity of the ice gave way. He thought of a plan and asked the man to send his dog over to him.
"Ruby ran to MCO Bennetts," state police said in a press release about the daring rescue. "MCO Bennetts attached the rescue disc to Ruby's collar and told the man to call his dog. Ruby ran back to his owner with the rescue disc."
The trooper instructed the victim to take the disc from the dog and kick his legs. With the help of a firefighter from Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, the two were able to pull the man out of the water and safely across the ice to safety.
The man was in the water for roughly 16 minutes, MSP said. He was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation before being released.
MSP praised the trooper for his quick thinking and gave Ruby a special shoutout.
"The quick actions of MCO Bennetts along with the help from Ruby, they were able to perform a successful ice rescue," state police stated.
The East Bay Township EMS, Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office, and Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department also helped at the scene.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service in Gaylord forecasted highs only in the teens with wind chills in the single digits and below zero -- conditions that can easily bring on hypothermia.
But despite the cold snap, ice conditions are haphazard at best, officials warn.
Fire crews said a mild winter season has created "marginal" ice conditions with snowfall creating further unsafe conditions.
As compiled by state officials, some tips that hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts should remember when encountering ice around the state are as follows:
• Your safety is your responsibility! There is not a reliable "inch-thickness" to determine if ice is safe.
• You can test ice thickness and quality using a spud, needle bar or auger.
• Strongest ice: clear with bluish tint.
• Weak ice: ice formed by melted and refrozen snow. Appears milky.
• Stay off ice with slush on top. Slush ice is only half as strong as clear ice and indicates the ice is not freezing from the bottom.
• A sudden cold front with low temperatures can create cracks within a half-day.
• A warm spell may take several days to weaken ice, and cause the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night.
• Ice weakens with age.
• If there's ice on the lake but water around the shoreline, be extra cautious.
• Stronger the current on the lake, the more likely the ice will give to open water.
• Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris like logs or brush.
• Keep an eye out for dock bubblers or de-icers as the ice near these mechanisms will be unsafe. Always check the ice and be aware of your surroundings.
If you happen to fall through ice, authorities say the first thing you should do is remain calm. Keep on all clothing to stay warm and turn in the water in the direction that you came from as this is more than likely the strongest ice.
"If you have ice picks, dig the points of the picks into the ice while vigorously kicking your feet to pull yourself onto the surface by sliding forward on the ice," state officials suggested. "Roll away from the area of weak ice. Rolling on the ice will distribute your weight to help avoid breaking through again."
Once you're safely away from ice, get to shelter and remove all wet clothing and redress in dry, warm clothes as well as consume warm, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages "as soon as you can."
"Call 911 and seek medical attention if you feel disoriented, have uncontrollable shivering or have any other ill effects that may be symptoms of hypothermia, which is a life-threatening condition," authorities advised.
