DULUTH, Minn. (WWJ) - Firefighters in Minnesota braved water temperatures below freezing and towering wave conditions to save a large dog after it escaped from its owner and jumped into Lake Superior last week.
Rescue crews with the Duluth Fire Department are being hailed as heroes after the harrowing rescue that took place on Thursday, December 7th near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge off 601 S Lake Ave.
According to the fire department, fire fighters sprang into action after the Saint Louis County dispatched received a frantic call about a dog struggling in the freezing cold waters around 6:20 p.m. with the "female reporting party,,, threatening to jump in," after the animal.
The fire department's Rescue crew 1 and the Assistant Chief responded to the area of the call while other crews responded to the Pier B Resort Hotel at 800 W Railroad St. with the department’s 14-foot inflatable rescue boat, Marine-3.
Due to the ice and cold temperatures on the Great Lake, the department said it's other marine units were not in service.
With the help of the lift bridge's cameras, dispatchers and first responders were able to pinpoint where the caller was located and ended up on the south pier on the lake side of the bridge.
The dog's owners pointed out where the animal was in the water, who was "struggling in 8-foot plus waves in the middle of the ship canal," the department said.
Fitted with ice suits for extreme cold water temperatures, crews jumped into the water and fought their way over to the dog. The department said the towering waves and limited light hindered efforts,
"The dog was also dark in color and kept slipping below the surface making him difficult to find," the fire department explained. "DFD personnel on the pier along with the dog’s owner used portable lights and shouted directions to the crew to help locate the dog. The firefighters were finally able to get a hold of the dog by his collar but were not able to do much more against the heavy waves other than help keep him from going under again."
Authorities said the dog was large, scared and struggling as crews were swept towards the bay. As they were passing under the bridge and battling to stay afloat, the department's marine unit arrived and got the swimmers and dog safely into the boat.
According to the department, the dog, who was exhausted from the ordeal, was reunited with its owners on dry land and treated by fire crews for exposure.
"The owners and dog were transported to their vehicle by Duluth Fire and the dog was showing marked signs of improvement," fire fighters stated. "He had stopped shivering, was able to walk on his own and was waging his tail as he jumped into his owner’s car."
The Duluth Fire Department addressed in their post why they believed it was critical to mount the rescue operation, even though it was over an animal.
"The Duluth Fire Department understands how important pets are to their families," officials added. "We have learned in the fire service that if we do not respond to help in these situations that bystanders and owners likely will take action on their own. Without the proper training and equipment this most often results in the firefighters now responding to a call for a person in harm’s way."
The department mentioned that on this particular call, the dispatch made notes that a female caller mentioned she would jump into the water to rescue the dog herself.
"Other bystanders on scene informed us they were having to convince the owner not to go in after the dog," the department continued. "The Duluth Fire Department wants to stress to the public the importance of not putting yourself into a situation you are neither trained nor equipped to handle. This will not only put you at risk but the emergency responders as well. It will also greatly limit the options we have to try to save your pet as all efforts will now be directed at saving you."
According to the department, the wave conditions and water temperatures in the canal that night were so extreme, that any scenario where someone got into the water without proper training and equipment would "most likely have ended in tragedy."
The fire department thanked the Saint Louis County Dispatch and the Aerial Lift Bridge Operator for their help in the rescue.