TOWNSHIP OF SYLVANIA, Sylvania — A dog who fell through a partially-frozen pond at ProMedica Flower Hospital is safe and doing well, thanks to the Sylvania Township Fire department.
Firefighter and paramedic Patrick Miller is the hero who went out on the ice to rescue the dog. He says the only thing going through his mind was getting to the dog.
"I could hear the urgency in the battalion chief's voice. And so, it was a go rescue at the point. I could tell we needed to go immediately. His concern was the dog would go under," Miller said.
Battalion Chief Steve Kahan says the guys don't usually run or sprint, but they knew how critical time was.
"Without hesitation, he got onto that pond and you can see in the video. He made his way across that ice in no time and that ice, the whole time he was going across, was actually breaking out underneath his legs and hands," said Kahan.
Lieutenant Mike Cook says because of practice, preparation and solid communication, despite the urgent situation, time was on their side.
"We were in and out of the water in probably less than a minute and a half from the time we pulled on scene to the time the dog was on shore," said Cook.
Sylvania Township Fire says the dog was near the pond to clear geese from the area. They assume the dog got distracted and ran into the pond toward the geese when it fell in.
If your pet or someone your with ever falls through a frozen pond, don't go into the water. If they fell in because the ice couldn't hold their weight, you will fall in too. The best advice? Immediately call 911.
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