The Charlotte Observer
(TNS)
Body camera footage posted to social media shows the moment a quick-thinking first responder teamed up with a victim’s dog to save her owner’s life.
Michigan State Police received a rescue call at approximately 11:45 a.m. on Jan. 18 for a 65-year-old man who fell through thin ice on Arbutus Lake in East Bay Township, according to a news release.
Ice conditions made it impossible for rescuers to reach the man, according to police.
But by his side, not heavy enough to break through the ice, was his dog, Ruby.
After attempting to throw a rescue disc to the victim, Officer Kammeron Bennetts called Ruby to him and attached the disc to her collar, police said.
Bennetts can be heard in the video instructing Ruby’s owner to call her back to him and grab the disc.
With the help of a responding firefighter, Bennetts pulled the man out of the water to safety, police said.
The man spent about 16 minutes in the frigid water, according to the release.
He was transported to a hospital and released, officials said.
East Bay Township is about 135 miles north of Grand Rapids.
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