GROSSE ILE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A dog is recovering after being rescued from ice on the Detroit River following a dramatic four-hour operation by Grosse Ile first responders on Monday afternoon.
Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report below:
The rescue began around 3 p.m. when Lynsey Ramage's sister spotted the dog entering the Detroit River near Bellevue Road in Grosse Ile.
"So she called the police department and everybody and then called me, and so I put on some snow gear and came down here just to see what was going on and yeah, there she was," Ramage said.
By the time Ramage arrived at the scene, the dog had climbed onto a sheet of ice approximately 350 yards from the island, according to Grosse Ile Police Sgt. Eric Vazquez.
"You see her out there and there's not much you can do because there's not really a safe way to get out there," Ramage said.
First responders deployed a drone to assist in rescue efforts. However, the operation proved challenging.
"The dog was moving on this sheet of ice and it was stopped by at least a small channel. We thought that maybe the drone could lure it back, and it kept going further east to the Canadian side," Vazquez said.
Firefighters also attempted to walk onto the ice while but determined conditions were too dangerous. Crews then brought in an airboat for the rescue operation.
"The problem is, between the drone and the firemen, the dog kept running away," Vazquez said.
Just as the drone's battery was running low and the airboat was preparing to return to shore, rescuers finally reached the dog.
"The dog had fell in through some ice, got up and what probably happened was that one of the paws were stuck to the ice, that's probably the only reason we were able to save the dog," Vazquez said.
The incident serves as a reminder for pet owners to ensure their animals are properly secured. Vazquez noted that in this case, the dog's family had a fence, but there was a hole in it that allowed the animal to escape.
For witnesses like Ramage, who said this was the second dog she's seen stranded on ice, the successful rescue brought relief.
"I'm really happy it all worked out," Ramage said.
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